The Unwelcome House Guest
by linklover77
Summary: A guest is coming to stay at the Neutron's, but just who that guest is means a weekend of torture and humiliation for our boy genius.
1. Chapter 1

**Wow...this is really branching out from all of the Toy Story stuff I've written. I don't know why, but something that happened a while back reminded me of my favorite Jimmy Neutron episode "Trading Faces." I then started watching all of the JN episodes again, and I re-fell in love with the show. I especially adore the love/hate relationship Jimmy and Cindy have. It's great. :3**

**Plus, Cindy is a kick-butt girl I can look up to and respect. She doesn't take crap, and she's not afraid to get what she wants (although I don't particularly commend the ways in which she gets what she wants), but all-in-all, she's pretty swell. :D**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, and the next chapter should hopefully be up sometime soon. Let me know what you think! :)**

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><p>James Isaac Neutron was born in Retroville, a small yet quaint town, to Hugh and Judy Neutron. From birth, Jimmy was always different. You know how every parent says their child was a genius at a young age? Well, Hugh and Judy Neutron could definitely say that about their son. He literally was, and from the moment he could walk and talk, he was always asking questions. Young Jimmy always wanted to know more about the world around him, and he approached his questions rather logically and methodically. Being the natural scientist he was enabled him to find the answers to many of his questions. As Jimmy grew older however, he had one question that no scientific method could answer: Why did Cindy Vortex dislike him so much?<p>

Cindy Vortex, the girl from across the street, set to hating Jimmy the moment he stepped foot in Lindbergh Elementary School. Poor Jimmy didn't know why; all he knew was that she thought he was a know-it-all. Well, he was a genius. What could she possibly expect? But no, there must be some other reason. There had to be. Little did Jimmy know that the next day would be a day he'd never forget.

It started off as a rather normal day. The bright yellow sun was casting its rays on the Earth, not caring whether anyone wanted them. A few birds perched on the large oak tree outside chirped to one another rather loudly, and Goddard, after the robotic dog couldn't stand it anymore, barked and howled out a two-story window until the birds scattered and rested on the neighboring picket fence.

"It's ok, Goddard," Jimmy patted his metal canine. "They're only birds."

Goddard growled a little more but eventually quieted to watch Jimmy scurry about his house to get ready for school. It was astounding, even for Goddard, to watch his master prepare for school each and every day. Jimmy used at least twenty of his inventions to prepare for school, all of which included styling his hair, helping him dress, and tying his shoes. Even with all of these inventions, Jimmy still managed to almost miss the bus every day. He insisted that it wasn't due to the extra time his inventions added on to his morning routine, but the fact that the bus driver came thirty seconds too early.

"My inventions are here to help, Goddard, and help they do!" Jimmy had once told Goddard after missing the bus. Goddard whimpered as he realized his master was trying to justify his somewhat unreliable inventions, but Jimmy just smiled and promised he'd make the bus the next day. This next day never seemed to come, but of all days, it had happened to be this one.

"Early for the bus, dear?" Judy Neutron asked in surprise as her young boy entered the kitchen fully dressed with a backpack casually slung around one shoulder.

"Yup! I knew if I simply recalibrated the digital wiring on my alarm clock, it would enable me to alter my brain's conception of time and terminate sleep mode earlier than normal."

"So you set your alarm clock a few minutes earlier?"

"Simply put, yes, but that doesn't sound as scientific, mom," Jimmy laughed.

Mrs. Neutron bustled around in the kitchen as Jimmy headed out the door. "Have a great day at school, sweetie!" she called out. "Your father will be there to pick you up!"

He waved back at his mother and stood on the curb waiting for the bus to arrive. Thirty seconds passed, and the bus still hadn't arrived. He nervously began to pace back and forth on the sidewalk, but his pacing only made him more nervous.

"Puking Pluto! Why hasn't the bus come yet? If my calculations are correct, which they usually are, the bus should have come approximately fifty two seconds ago!"

At that particular moment, a young blonde girl exited the bright pink house just across the street from the Neutrons. It was none other than Cindy Vortex, Jimmy's mortal enemy.

"Finally early for the bus, Spewtron?" she mockingly asked.

Jimmy closed his eyes and tried to find a happy place to escape to while the young girl continued to unload a barrage of insults his way. Once he could no longer hear her annoying voice, he opened his eyes to find the bus was just about to pull up. He eagerly headed towards the door, but as quick as the blink of an eye, Cindy was standing in front of him.

"Whatever happened to ladies first?" she angrily questioned as she stormed up the steps and onto the bus. Jimmy muttered a few mean names under his breath but followed behind her to see his friend Sheen already on the bus.

"Where's Carl?" Jimmy asked as he took the empty seat next to Sheen.

"Do I look like I know where llama boy is? I'm much too busy examining my newest Ultralord action figure!" Sheen pulled out an Ultralord action figure that looked no different than any of the others Sheen owned.

"What does it do that's different?"

"Oh Jimmy," Sheen sighed. "Of course someone with your little knowledge on all-things-Ultralord wouldn't recognize that instead of Ultralord wearing his normal eleven shoe size, he's instead wearing his super charged moon boots, which are actually two sizes bigger."

Jimmy rolled his eyes, causing him to turn his head to the left. There sat Cindy and Libby, gabbing away over the next boy band that had become popular. He quietly watched as Cindy then commented on how one of the boys looked like Nick Dean. Jimmy involuntarily choked, and before he knew it, Vortex was staring him down. If looks could kill, Jimmy would have been burned to a crisp.

"What is it, Nerdtron? Why are you staring at us? Creep…."

"It's just because he wishes he looked like Nick," Libby spoke up. "Just ignore him, Cindy."

"If you must know, I only looked because of an uncontrollable reaction of my eyes to Sheen's new Ultralord doll."

"It's an action figure!" Sheen yelled.

"Whatever, Neutron," Cindy said. "You should wish you were like Nick though. He's sweet, good-looking, and cool. In other words, everything you're not."

Cindy and Libby laughed to themselves as if they were the two funniest comedians on the planet. Jimmy just grumbled and restrained himself from punching that good-for-nothing Vortex in the face.

The bus slowly began to move, but not without a large, round boy chasing after it. The bus driver reluctantly slowed the bus enough for the boy to clamor aboard and take a seat in front of Jimmy and Sheen.

"Carl? Why were you late? You usually beat Jimmy here, and that's saying something," Sheen nodded.

"Sorry guys, but my mom forced me to finally wash my llama underwear," Carl said, a bit out of breath from his run. "I've worn it for a whole week now."

"Eww!" Cindy and Libby said in unison as they turned to face the troublesome trio.

"Who's listening in now?" Jimmy asked.

"Carl, that's gross!" Libby shuddered.

"Well, it was only because it was llama week. Sheen's worn his underwear for almost a month now."

Everyone turned to face Sheen, and Sheen, oblivious to their disgusted faces, continued to show his newest Ultralord action figure the utmost adoration.

"Well, I'm glad you made it, Carl," Jimmy smiled at his friend.

"Thanks, Jim. How'd you make it on time?"

"Some simple recalculations, that's all."

Carl nodded and stared at the window as the bus headed towards Lindbergh Elementary School. Jimmy pulled out a blueprint for another rocket he was constructing, and Sheen hummed the Ultralord theme music under his breath.

Once the bus had pulled up to the school, the children literally had to be forced off. They dragged their feet to their individual classrooms, and once Jimmy, Sheen, and Carl had entered their classroom, Ms. Fowl commanded them to take their seats immediately. She was getting ready to hand them a pop quiz, and Sheen began to ask Ms. Fowl question after question.

"Why do they call a pop quiz a pop quiz? Does that mean we get Purple Flurp after we finish?"

"No, Sheen. Now be quiet and take your exaaaaam!" Ms. Fowl cried.

The kids quietly worked on the test that lay in front of them while Jimmy quickly sketched in the correct answers in less than a minute. He turned his paper over silently and let his eyes wander the room. He noticed almost everyone else was still working. He sat back comfortably in his chair and put his hands behind his head. He was sure to get the best score on today's quiz.

"Time's up! Hand in your quizzes!" Ms. Fowl called after five minutes had passed.

Once Ms. Fowl had each paper in hand, she passed them back randomly to each student. "If you get your own, make sure to give it baaaaack so I can get you a new one!"

Sheen raised his hand. "Ms. Fowl, I got Carl's. Can I please get someone else's?"

"Hey!" Carl pouted as he turned to face Sheen. "I got yours, so if anyone should be complaining, it's me."

"Take that back, llama boy!"

"No!"

"Boys! Quiet down and grade the paaaaapers you have!"

She finished passing out the tests when suddenly Jimmy heard someone whispering. He turned to see Cindy staring at him; in one hand, she held his exam, while in the other, she held a blood-red pen.

"I hope you did well, Neutron, because you're going to need these answers to be verbatim if you want to get a decent score."

Ms. Fowl slowly wrote the answers on the board in a sort of chicken scratch that proved hard to decipher.

"Hmm…should I give a point for 'insect' if the answer she gave was 'bug'?" Cindy mused to herself.

"It's the same thing," Jimmy hurriedly whispered. "Give me the point, Vortex!"

"Well…you didn't put what she had, so it must be wrong. Ouch, Nerdtron, you're flunking so far."

Fourteen more questions followed, and Jimmy flinched each time he heard the scratch of Cindy's pen against his paper. He inwardly cursed himself for not being more prepared and putting multiple answers on each question. Of course Vortex was going to try and find some way to win, no matter the cost.

"Now claaaaas, let's see who got the highest score on today's quiz! Remember, if you didn't do as well as you would have liked to, maybe you should be held baaaack!" Ms. Fowl said as her gaze slowly drifted in Sheen's general direction. She shuffled through the stack of papers and instinctively pulled out one. She opened her mouth to announce the winner, but then stopped when she noted the score at the top of the page. Jimmy just scowled while Cindy victoriously smiled.

"Well, that's a surprise," Ms. Fowl frowned. "Jimmy did nooooot win, but instead, the winner is….Cindy."

Cindy stood up and bowed in front of the class as if she'd just won a pageant. She waved and blew kisses while the class just stared at her in complete and utter shock. Then, when everyone had come out of their momentary trance, they stared at Jimmy, wondering how the boy genius had been beaten.

Jimmy raised his hand. "Yes?" Ms. Fowl said.

"I demand that my exam be re-graded! My grader was biased."

"What do you mean, Jimmy?"

"I mean...Miss Vortex graded my paper!"

The class looked to Cindy. "What do you have to say, Cindy?"

"I graded it just like we were told," she said as she folded her arms.

"Jimmy didn't get a hundred?" Carl whispered to Sheen. Sheen just shrugged and raised his hand. Ms. Fowl ignored it.

"Well, I guess I'll have to re-graaaaaaade it then. Cindy, have a seat. You might not be the winner after all."

Cindy miserably sat down at her desk, and after a few moments, Ms. Fowl announced that Jimmy had won. Jimmy smiled his victory smile at Cindy and thanked Ms. Fowl for correcting such an unfair mistake.

"Cindy, the next time I find that you've tampered with something of Jimmy's, I'll be sure to have the principal speak with your moooooother."

Cindy, dejected looking, stared at the wooden finish on her desk for the rest of class. Jimmy couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for her. She was always so close to victory, but yet, Jimmy always beat her out the last minute. Well, it served her right, seeing as she almost sabotaged his perfect grades.

Once the bell had rung and the class had rushed out to spend their afternoon doing something other than using their brains, Jimmy, Sheen, and Carl were picked up by Mr. Neutron to be taken over to Jimmy's home.

"Hello boys!" Mr. Neutron greeted with such enthusiasm that Carl felt a little nauseous. "What plans do you have with Jimbo this afternoon?"

Sheen was the first to speak up. "Ultra—"

"No, Sheen," Carl shook his head. "I need to show Jimmy _The Adventures of Jake the Llama_." Carl turned to address Jimmy. "My favorite llama, Betty, has hair kind of like yours."

"Well…uh…thanks Carl. It might be interesting to watch," Jimmy smiled as he remembered llamas were his best friend's favorite thing in the whole entire world. "Besides, at least it would be something other than Ultralord."

Sheen rolled his eyes, but before he could come up with an idiotic retort, Hugh Neutron decided to put in his two cents.

"How about you boys spend the day helping us with some chores around the house?"

All three simultaneously flipped their lids. "Chores? It's a Thursday afternoon!" Sheen complained. "If anyone has to do chores, it should be Jimmy."

"But Jake is coming on, and we've got to watch it! Today we find out who the mysterious girl llama Buster's been seen with is!" Carl whined.

"Dad! I've been cleaning non-stop all week! Can't you let me have a break?" Jimmy fibbed.

"Now, now, I'm only saying that because we're having company over tomorrow," Hugh replied, as if chores would suddenly become more acceptable after this revelation.

"Please don't tell me Granny's coming over again?" Jimmy sighed. The last time she'd visited, it hadn't exactly been one of Jimmy's most fondest memories.

"No, of course it's not. She's refused to come over ever since you turned her into a baby. No, it's not her. It's that one friend of yours from school, Jimmy. The one right across the street from us."

Jimmy gulped. There was only one girl Jimmy's age that lived right across the street from them. But no, it couldn't be her. Why in the galaxy would she want to be a guest at the Neutron residence?

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><p><strong>Again, I hope this was somewhat of an interesting read, and I also hope everyone was in character! Reviews are more than welcome! Thanks! :D <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hiya! Sorry this chappie took some time to finally put up. I was almost done with it a while ago, but then school got in the way. I just want to say thanks to those who reviewed; I was really happy to know that I wasn't wasting my time completely with this. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy! **

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><p>"Moooooooooooooooommmmmmmm!" Jimmy yelled as he burst through the Neutron's front door. Mrs. Neutron was in the process of baking one of her world-famous pies, but at the sound of her disturbed son's high-pitched voice, she leapt out of the kitchen to find Jimmy sprawled on the floor.<p>

"Jimmy!" she screamed. "Oh my goodness! Hugh? Hugh?" Mr. Neutron came bumbling in, surprised at the unevenness in his sugar booger's voice. "Hugh! Will you please fetch the spare gasoline pint in the pantry?" Her husband scrambled into the abluted kitchen to find the exact pint his wife had commanded him to fetch. He reached out with one of his clumsy hands and accidentally knocked it over. It fell with a rather loud crash to the floor as piece after piece flew any which way.

"Uh…sugar booger?" Hugh nervously called.

Judy angrily stormed in to find her husband on his knees, frantically trying to piece together the hopeless bottle. "Leave." Hugh didn't question her and immediately retreated to the garage to take comfort in one of his ducks. Mrs. Neutron decided it was time for Plan B. She always kept a spare foghorn in one of the cabinets, primarily if her husband ever fainted at the sight of one of his ducks lying broken on the floor. She grabbed it, flipped it around once or twice, and then headed towards her son's lifeless body.

"I'm sorry, Jimmy," she whispered as she blasted the horn as close to his face as she dared allow. The boy jumped and immediately began to scream. Judy tried to hush her son, realizing that a foghorn probably shouldn't have been Plan B, but yet again, it did prove useful to have one now and again.

"MOM! MOM! MOM!" he shouted over and over again, his face contorting in ways she didn't know were possible.

"James! It's ok! I'm here. I'm here." She began to stroke her son's fudge-like hair. Jimmy, after a quick survey of the room, realized that his mother was telling the truth. He was just back home. He wasn't being pulverized by Poultra. He was home; he was safe. Then it hit Jimmy like one of Butch's punches. He wasn't safe.

"Mom! Did you…could you by chance…dad said…well you couldn't have…"

"Oh for crying out loud, Jimmy, spit it out!" Mrs. Neutron cried, nervous that her boy could have permanently been scarred for life.

Jimmy slowly inhaled and spoke one simple line: "Cindy's coming over."

Mrs. Neutron looked at her son in confusion. One minute he was screaming, and the next, he was stating a fact as plain as day. "Of course, dear."

"Why?" Jimmy could barely get the word to exit his throat.

"Because her parents need us to look after her while they're gone."

"But I thought the Vortexes hated us? Doesn't it seem odd that they'd ask us to look after their…daughter?" Jimmy had paused before saying daughter only because he had a much nastier word in mind for her, but since he was speaking to his mother, he didn't want to give her any reason to ground him. Since Vortex was coming over, he wanted to still have the privilege to leave anytime he needed. It would probably come in handy later on.

"It happened when I went out shopping…" Mrs. Neutron began.

The grocery store was vast, large. Judy examined the entirety of the store, and its overwhelming space and girth stunted her shopping for only the briefest of moments. It still amazed her how every food item she could possibly desire could be found all in one convenient location. Thank goodness her family didn't live before grocery stores had been concocted, but on second thought, her son probably would have invented them sooner or later. What a bright boy her little Jimmy was. She proudly smiled at the thought and continued onward to the bread isle.

It slightly surprised Mrs. Neutron when she realized that their family was in need of bread. Hugh only ate bread when it had been toasted, and since her son was constantly using their toasters to enhance his inventions, they almost never ate bread. Mrs. Neutron paced back and forth until finally deciding on a pretty pink packaged loaf with the words "Grandma Vortex" on it. She had never seen this loaf before, but its stylish packaging and eye-popping pictures were enough to let Judy know this loaf was what she wanted.

"I see you've bought Grandma Vortex," a voice suddenly addressed her. The voice had a slight prideful drawl to it, and its owner was none other than Mrs. Vortex herself. "My grandmother just released this loaf. It's been in my family for generations, and finally grandmamma has decided to release it to the general public. Feel lucky she's a generous old woman."

"Well, it looks appetizing," Mrs. Neutron politely agreed. "I'm sure it's a good loaf."

"There's no need to be modest; it is the best."

"Right," Mrs. Neutron awkwardly nodded. "So…what are you shopping for?"

"I came to quickly pick up a few loaves myself." Mrs. Vortex hastily grabbed a few loaves and shoved them under her armpit.

"Do you not get free bread? It is your grandmother's after all. Surely—"

"My grandmother is a smart woman. Even before she released it, she made us pay for it. That woman knows how to do business."

Judy decided to take another direction with the conversation. She recalled that Mrs. Vortex had a daughter Jimmy's own age. "How is your daughter doing?"

"Cindy?" Mrs. Vortex asked, looking as though she wanted to know the answer herself. "I suppose she's doing fine. Her lowest grade is a 98%, but I guess it makes sense, seeing as it is in science."

"That's excellent. Your daughter is very smart!" Mrs. Neutron smiled, hoping that Mrs. Vortex would realize what a fantastic daughter she had.

"Well, she would be getting a higher grade if your son wasn't in her class," Mrs. Vortex scoffed.

"What?"

"That boy genius of yours is making a mockery of Cynthia's grades."

"I…don't understand…"

"Listen to me, Judy. Your son is smart, in case you didn't already know that. He's viable competition for my daughter, but he has an unfair advantage. If the world was just, Cindy would be at the top of the class."

Mrs. Neutron opened her mouth to retaliate, but instead decided she would much rather regret not saying anything than eternally upsetting the Vortexes.

"Anyway, I'm glad to see you're buying the loaf." Mrs. Vortex nodded towards the neatly wrapped package in Mrs. Neutron's hands. Judy just stood there, not sure whether to put it in her cart or throw it right at that no-good Vortex.

"Judy, I have a very serious question to ask of you."

Mrs. Neutron nodded, realizing that speaking was both impossible and dangerous.

"The mister and I are going away for a few days. We can't stand Retroville for another minute. We simply must get out of here, but the only problem is the girl." Mrs. Neutron believed the girl in question was Cindy. "I would hate to ask this of you, but we Vortexes have no other choice. Everyone else has either not answered our phone calls or evaded our visits. We can't figure out why…"

Judy was pretty sure she knew why. Who in their right mind would be willing to do the Vortexes a favor?

"We'll look after Cindy."

Mrs. Vortex raised one of her eyebrows and x-rayed Mrs. Neutron to see if she could find a hint of sarcasm or deceit. After a few moments of intense scrutiny, she couldn't find anything unsatisfactory, besides that ridiculous green dress. "Thank you, Judy. We are indebted to you. We'll tell her of our arrangements and send her over sometime tomorrow after school."

"That's fine." Mrs. Neutron was going to make sure that Cindy was properly appreciated. Perhaps she could do some good for the child. Besides, Cindy could keep Jimmy company, and isn't that what every young child wanted? A friend? Sure, he had Carl and Sheen, but a friend with actual intellect? Maybe this could work out better in her son's favor than the Vortexes.

Jimmy stood up, his mouth agape and his eyes fixated on his mother's. How could she have said yes?

"So Jimmy," Mrs. Neutron began. "I need you to do some chores around the house before Cindy shows up. The floor hasn't been vacuumed in over two days, and don't even get me started on your room!"

Jimmy sighed. He was doomed. He made his way upstairs to reassemble his room in a manner pleasing to his mother. This meant putting away his pants by hand, something that he had always dreaded doing and would forever dread. As he slowly folded each and every pair, an idea began to form in his head. He could avoid having Cindy come over. He was a genius after all, wasn't he? Why couldn't he just whip something up to keep her away?

"Goddard, options," Jimmy suddenly barked. Goddard came bounding up to his owner after terminating sleep mode at the sound of his master's voice. "Goddard, I need to keep Cindy from coming here. What are my options?"

Goddard turned his head slightly to the left, and the panel on the front of his rectangular body opened upward to reveal a lime green screen. As suddenly as the panel had lifted did words appear on the screen.

"Befriend Cindy," Jimmy read. "Goddard, weren't you listening? I'm trying to keep Cindy away!"

Goddard whimpered a bit, but a new phrase appeared on the screen within seconds. "Move away," Jimmy read again. "That's impossible at this point."

A new option materialized as the old one faded away. "Humiliate yourself." Jimmy pondered this for a moment. Knowing the Vortexes and their obsession with pride, perhaps he could come up with something so embarrassing that they would rather die than to willingly give their daughter to the Neutrons.

"Excellent! I know just the thing!" Jimmy yelled to Goddard as he made for the lab.

Hours had been spent in this lab, and Jimmy had never blinked twice at the prospect that a few more hours had just passed as he tinkered and toyed with his newest invention. Inventing was his source of comfort. All of his problems could be solved logically through science. It had never let him down before—sure, it might have caused mass havoc and destruction, but he could always invent something or counteract the invention to save the day. Science was his only true friend in this world. Both thought alike and were compatible in almost every aspect. Science never told him to clean his room or play with ducks or insulted him for being smart. Science understood what Jimmy needed, and science helped Jimmy accomplish anything and everything. Sometimes Jimmy wondered why he even bothered with people at all. He had everything he wanted right here in his lab. It was truly his home.

A few more twists of the wrist and the invention was complete. Jimmy hurried over to grab his phone and dial up his two most willing volunteers. New inventions always needed test subjects to verify the validity of them. Every scientist knew that.

"Hi Jimmy," Carl answered.

"Hey Carl," Jimmy greeted. "I know it's getting close to 5:30, so I was wondering if you could just quickly come over. You see, I've just invented something that should keep Cin—"

"Oh boy, Jim, that sounds like fun, but you see…I've got…to watch…Jake…"

Suspecting deceit, Jimmy pointed out that _The Adventures of Jake the Llama_ came on at 3 p.m. "Well, they switched it for today," Carl nervously said. "It's coming on at 5:30, and I can't miss it."

"Couldn't you just record it and watch it later?" Jimmy innocently suggested. "I really need a test subject. If there are any bugs, I can fix them before it's too late."

Carl was quiet except for the rhythmic sound of his breath. Jimmy took that to mean that Carl was torn. "Why won't you come, Carl? I thought you liked testing my inventions?"

"I do, I really do, but I just can't."

"Why?"

"Well, I still kind of have a rash from your last invention, and my mom was so mad when she found out. She's kind of temporarily banned me from being a test subject until 'that boy invents safer things.' Sorry Jimmy."

"I understand, Carl. There's no need to be sorry. I'm the one who should be sorry. How was I supposed to know that the de-wedgier would backfire, causing the wearer of the pants to also be unable to pull their pants down?"

Carl paused for a moment. "I don't think anyone could have known, but my dad had to cut my pants off."

Jimmy suppressed a giggle. It had been rather entertaining to watch the Wheezers struggle to get their son out of his pants. "Ok. I'll just call Sheen then. Have a good night."

"You too."

Jimmy quickly dialed up Sheen's number and put the phone to his ear. "Sheen?" he timidly asked when he heard noises that sounded like lasers. Sure enough, Sheen had answered but was intently watching Ultralord.

"Sorry Jimmy, but Ultralord's on. Must. Watch."

"But Sheen! I really, really, really—"

"NO! Ultralord's on, and I really, really, really need to watch it!"

"No good…" Jimmy began to mumble under his breath as he angrily threw the phone across the room. He needed a test subject…and now! Well, it looked like he had no other choice. He'd just have to wing it tomorrow when she'd come. All of the calculations seemed to be correct. What could possibly go wrong?

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><p><strong>DUN DUN DUUH! The SUSPENSE! :P <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry to those of you who were patiently waiting for an update. I really do appreciate the reviews you have given and the favorites, subs, etc.. They really make my day. :) I tried to compensate for the lack of an update with an abnormally large chapter (for myself, that is). Do enjoy!**

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><p>"Wake up, Jimbo! Today's the big day!" Jimmy Neutron rolled to face the opposite way of the source of the noise, his father. He'd been dreading today, and he hadn't slept a wink. He had wanted to test his invention, but since he had no real test subjects, he had had to test it on himself. It had gone mildly well, but Jimmy couldn't help but feel that he should have tested a few more times to be sure. Well, it was too late for any more tests. He needed to get himself to school and pray that Vortex didn't publicize the news. No one would ever forget that Jimmy had allowed Cindy to stay over. It didn't look good—it looked like they were friends or something. And because she was a girl, it made it look like…but he couldn't think the thought.<p>

"Jimmy, son, you really need to get up! The bus is here!"

"Wha—?" Jimmy bolted up from bed to see the bus pulling up in front of the Neutron home. "Ahhh!" Jimmy yelled as he scrambled around his bedroom to assemble his belongings and clothing. Once Jimmy was done—approximately 37.5 seconds later—he ran for the front door to try to miraculously catch the bus. To his astonishment, so was Carl Wheezer. Both ran to the bus as fast as they possibly could, but it had left long ago before they made it.

"Looks like we'll have to walk," Carl gloomily remarked.

"Not to worry, Carl. I always have my jetpack handy." Jimmy flashed a smile as he pressed a red button on one of his backpack straps. "Hold on," he said as he grabbed Carl. The pair lifted off of the ground just enough for Jimmy to steer them to school. After a few painful minutes, the duo reached the school and charged into class. Ms. Fowl announced at the sight of them that they'd receive two demerits each. Jimmy groaned and rolled his eyes as he sat in his desk. He then realized who was sitting to his left, and he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

Cindy Vortex looked mad. No, that was putting it in its simplest form. Cindy looked outraged, furious, baffled, and worst of all, vicious. Jimmy inwardly sighed. School was going to be rough today, and rough it was. When the class was asked to present on a favorite president, Jimmy's presentation on George Washington was openly mocked. When Jimmy raised his hand to answer a few math problems that most students couldn't understand, Cindy whispered insults to those around her, primarily Libby. When the two girls giggled at a minor grammatical error Jimmy had made, his fists involuntarily clenched, and his brow furrowed. There was no way on Earth that he was going to put up with her insolent behavior. Luckily, he wouldn't have to.

After six treacherous hours at school, Jimmy literally flung himself out of the building. He had never previously thought he could hate an educational facility with such passion. Without a word to anyone, Jimmy ran all the way home. He'd left his newest invention in the lab, so it would be vital to grab it now before the Vortexes sent Cindy over.

At least Cindy hadn't spewed the news to everyone at school. He'd been expecting it, and more importantly, he'd been dreading it. What if Betty Quinlan had heard? But Jimmy didn't want to think about that. Thinking about Betty Quinlan too much put him in a daze, and right now he needed to focus.

"Hi Goddard," Jimmy called out to the robotic canine as he entered his lab. There, sitting on the desk, was the Embarratron 1100. Jimmy reached out to grab the bracelet-like device. Using his left hand to carefully handle the invention without setting it off, he clamped it shut around his wrist. He slowly rotated his forearm, observing the way the bracelet gleamed under the small lamp atop the desk. A small smile spread on the boy's face as he made his way back into his own home.

"Mom! Dad!" he called out once he'd entered the backdoor. The kitchen shone with such ferocity, Jimmy was momentarily stunned. His mother obviously wanted everything to be the best when Vortex showed up.

"Yes, honey?" Mrs. Neutron came shuffling in, pulling her husband in by the arm.

"I found your wedding rings," Jimmy announced, offering the pair a set of silver-streaked rings.

"Oh good!" Mr. Neutron exclaimed. "I'd thought I'd lost the blasted things yesterday when I was scavenging the pantry for fallen bread crumbs—I mean, I didn't even realize they'd gone missing."

"Hugh!" Judy reprimanded. "How could you not notice the absence of our wedding rings?"

"Well, sugar booger, a man focuses on other things—"

"Like ducks?"

"Not entirely, but ducks are certainly important."

Mrs. Neutron shook her head and looked to her son for the rings. "Hmm…they look different than I remember" she mused.

"Nope, they're the exact same rings. Nothing's been done to them, and they for sure aren't going to do anything strange or embarrassing once you put them on."

"I'm convinced," Mr. Neutron said as he grabbed one of the rings and awkwardly tried to shove it on his stubby ring finger. Mrs. Neutron followed suit, but not without a suspicious glance at her son. Once the rings were on, both of the Neutrons went back to preparing for their new arrival.

"Any moment now, they'll become the most embarrassing people on the planet—not that they weren't before," Jimmy said aloud to no one in particular. "The rings' metallic composition will easily interfere with the nerve signals from their brains, causing their reactions to be delayed and their bodies to eventually become temporarily severed from the control of their minds."

Jimmy walked into the living room where his parents were nestled on the couch. Luckily for Jimmy, his father wasn't using his 'walking man' tactic on his mother again, but Jimmy couldn't help but admit that he might use that one day in the future. "How are you two feeling?" he casually asked.

"Fine, dear. Maybe you should walk over to the Vortexes' and escort Cindy over. It never hurts to show some hospitality."

"Especially to rich people." Mrs. Neutron aimed a forceful punch at her husband's shoulder. "What? With that kind of money, we'd eat pie every day, all day."

"Well, actually, I was wondering if we could all head over and politely invite Cindy over," Jimmy sweetly suggested.

Mrs. Neutron smiled. "What a wonderful idea. Look Hugh. Look at the proper and well-educated son we raised."

"Yes, we sure have a good kid. Nothing beats a little tact."

With that being said, the Neutron family moseyed out of their comfortable home to cross the street. The pink house looked even pinker than Jimmy could remember, and the thought of Pepto-Bismol came to mind. Hugh Neutron knocked on the door a few times, and the family waited for someone to answer.

The door slowly opened to reveal a blonde girl with eyes as green as the greenest forest. Her eyes darted to each individual face that attentively smiled at her, and she called out for her parents. Her mother appeared within seconds beside her daughter, and she repugnantly noted the senseless looks on her neighbor's faces.

"What do you want?" she drawled.

"We've come to invite Cindy over a bit early. We hope this isn't a problem," Mrs. Neutron spoke.

"Not at all," Mrs. Vortex said. "Goodbye, Cynthia. Your father and I will be back in a few days. Here's to wishing you can hold on that long." Mrs. Vortex began to leave.

"But mom, why can't I stay here? Surely we don't need to bother anyone…"

"It's already been settled. How many times must I remind you that you are too young to watch over all of my precious belongings? What if a burglar were to suddenly appear? A rubber duck would be better defense than you. This is why you must train even harder when you go to karate practice."

"Yes, mother," Cindy gave in with an inaudible sigh.

"You know, I think that you have a point with the rubber duck," Mr. Neutron started to say, but before he could say anymore, his eyes lolled in the back of his head, and his tongue shot straight out. For a moment, it looked as if he had died right on the spot, but as suddenly as it had come on, he started to quack.

"QUACK QUACK QUACK!"

The Vortexes' expressions changed from annoyance to fright, and they began to back into their house. This, however, did not silence Hugh. Instead of leaving or ceasing to quack, Hugh followed the women into their own home to quack some more.

"QUAAAAAAAACK!" His arms flailed about as if they were trying to flap. His knees bent in funny angles, and his feet kicked up now and again.

"Hugh! What are you doing?" Mrs. Neutron began to yell. No sooner had these words been said then Mrs. Neutron began to scream like a banshee.

"AAAIIIIIYEEEEEEEEE!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Her face twisted inward, and her teeth appeared to grow pointier. She began to crawl on all fours, and occasionally she'd swipe at the floor, trying to dig with her nails.

Jimmy felt a strange tingling sensation in his hands. It quickly spread up his arms like a blazing fire, and his whole body became engrossed in this disorienting cold burning-like numbness. The Embarratron must be working on him now. He just prayed whatever he did wouldn't be as embarrassing as his parents. Luckily for his family, he was going to swipe the Vortexes' minds after they chose another destination for Cindy.

Jimmy felt his back involuntarily arch, and his palms began to sweat. His heart beat a hundred miles a minute, and his eyes were glued to a pair of emerald ones. Jimmy cursed the craftiness of his sheer genius, but he knew what was going to happen next. An immediate urge to rush over and serenade the girl overcame him, and realizing that it was for the best, he let his invention take control.

He knelt on both knees in front of Cindy and hastily clutched her hands in his own. He sang out the ideas that the invention provided him with: ideas of love, fancy, and beauty. In the back of Jimmy's mind, he knew he was playing a very dangerous game, but he refused to back down now. It was too late for cowardice.

Cindy gaped at the sudden change in his attitude towards her, and instead of pulling away, she awkwardly and uncomfortably looked to her mother for help.

"Get away from my child, you freak!" Mrs. Vortex yelled at Jimmy, rushing over to pry his hands off of her daughter's.

"But I love her!" the invention yelled for him.

Cindy looked like she was going to throw up. She ripped her hands from Jimmy's and sat down to catch her breath. Mrs. Vortex looked absolutely furious. She had appeared disturbed and frightened when Jimmy's parents had reacted the way they did, but nothing had upset her until Jimmy made advances on her offspring.

"OUT!" she yelled. A force unknown to mankind thrived within her rattling vocal chords, giving her the power to momentarily captivate the attention of the three intruders. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE THIS INSTANT!"

The Neutrons, all thoroughly confused and dazed, left the home to return to their own. Jimmy reached to grab the metallic bracelet, which seemed to have contracted even tighter, and deactivate it. He tore it off of his wrist and let it fall from his hand to the floor. It hit with a rather loud clatter, and he forced his parents to take off their rings.

"J-Jimbo?" Mr. Neutron bewilderedly asked.

"James Isaac Neutron! You had better tell us what just happened if you want to avoid being grounded for the rest of your life!" Mrs. Neutron furiously yelled.

Jimmy mournfully looked at his toes. He hadn't expected their subconsciouses to be as strong as they had when the Embarratron had taken over. He had actually considered them to be weaker prey intellectually, and his obvious miscalculation meant they had known what they were doing but simply couldn't control it.

As his parents stood waiting for an answer, one perplexedly analyzing the ceiling, and the other burning holes through Jimmy's brain with her death-like stare, he decided the truth would be best. Lying would only get him in more trouble.

"You see, I didn't want Cindy to come over. I invented a devise that, upon interacting with the signals being rapidly fired from your brain to your nervous system, would cause your bodies to be far from the control of your minds. It caused you to revert to the most embarrassing state of your being, although I don't think it worked for dad."

"I wouldn't mind being a duck, son," Mr. Neutron nodded.

"I know dad, and that's what puzzles me. The Embarratron was supposed to make the three of us act out the most embarrassing things our minds could possibly come up with, but it seemed to have done the opposite." Jimmy paused to consider the implications of this observation. He shook his head. "You must have had a malfunction during the course of your run, dad. There's no other explanation."

"Young man, what have you done? There is no doubt that you have completely ruined the momentary first-name basis interaction I've had with Sasha for years. You must go and explain at once."

"But first, let's wait until Mr. and Mrs. Vortex decide where to send Cindy. After that performance, there is no way they'll send her here now."

"Which is why you will go over right now and explain," Mrs. Neutron decided.

"WHAT? No! She can't come! I can just wipe their minds afterwards, mom!"

"March!" she yelled as she pointed towards the door.

"The one time her mind's been wiped, and she didn't even know until Carl accidentally let it slip. It wouldn't make much of a difference," he angrily grumbled.

"Save your breath for that heart-felt apology I know you'll give," Mrs. Neutron reprimanded. "You had better not come back without Cindy, or you can kiss your lab goodbye."

Jimmy angrily muttered more under his breath. Why did he, the genius, have to be punished? It just wasn't fair. Couldn't his parents see that having Cindy over was a punishment and not a privilege? Perhaps that was why his mother wanted her over more than ever.

He stalked over to the stupid pink house with the stupid porch to ring the stupid doorbell so they'd open the stupid front door. He forcefully pressed the doorbell until he thought he might break it. He waited for about thirty seconds, and when no one seemed to be coming, he turned around to head back home and report to his mom that it was pointless.

"What in the heck was that about?"

He turned around to find Cindy glaring at him, her hands in their typical positions: on her hips. He'd never noticed how fierce that position looked, and it made him feel slightly nervous.

"Just an invention, Vortex, but don't worry, you won't remember it for long."

"Is that a threat? I hope you're happy about what you've done, Neutron. My mother had to lie down after ordering your freak of a family out of our house. I have never seen her look so angry before, and that's not including the time I didn't…" Cindy trailed off, realizing that she was talking too much about her mother and not enough about the idiot boy that had just scarred her for the rest of her life. "That couldn't have been real. What did you do?"

"If I explained my invention to you in even the simplest terms, it would still go over your head, Vortex," Jimmy said while rolling his eyes and trying to slip away. "Tell your mother I'm sorry and explain what happened."

"But why in the heck would you do that in the first place? You know I'll tell everyone what you've done."

"Yes, but the price to pay was well worth it," Jimmy called as he began to cross the lawn.

"Whaddya mean, Nerdtron?"

"You won't be coming over anymore," Jimmy simply smiled.

Cindy looked a little taken aback by the comment, but she instantly counteracted. "Wrong! My mother is still sending me over, even after all that you morons have done!"

"What? Why?" Jimmy flipped around to charge back to where Cindy stood, hands on hips and eyebrows furrowed.

"No one else will take me," Cindy bitterly said. "My mom's called everyone she knows, but your mother was the only person willing to look after me."

"You're lucky my mother has a kind heart," Jimmy angrily jeered.

"I dare you to say that again, Brainboy," Cindy threatened as she poked him in the chest.

"Oh, did I say something I shouldn't have?"

"You implied something you shouldn't have," Cindy corrected. "Listen, Nerdtron. I don't want to come over to your house at all. I know these next few days will cause me to need years of therapy later in life, but I swear, if you push my buttons, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Jimmy folded his arms in frustration. So he had worked for hours for nothing? "I want your mother to confirm that you are indeed still coming over."

Cindy gave Jimmy a disgusted look. "Don't flatter yourself by thinking that I'd actually want to come over in the first place. Do you think I would pretend that she'd want me to come over? What could I possibly gain from staying at your house?"

"Tips on how to be the smartest kid in class?" Jimmy suggested.

"I warned you, Neutron, and now you're going to get it," Cindy heatedly informed. Her right hand clenched into a perfect fist, and she aimed straight for Jimmy's mouth. Before Jimmy knew what was going on, he was lying on the ground. He could faintly taste blood in his mouth, and he looked at Cindy in horror. He lifted up a shivering hand to try and feel the damage, but it seemed that he was still in one piece and barely bleeding at all.

"Where's your father in all this?" Jimmy accused. "Doesn't he have a say?"

"Shut up, you moron!" Cindy kicked him square in the stomach. Jimmy collapsed back on the ground and watched as Cindy slammed the door shut. He lie there for a few minutes before slowly propping himself up onto his elbows. From there, he forced his body to straighten though it complained with sharp pains in his abdomen. He sluggishly limped across the street, narrowly avoiding being run over by a large truck. His mother expectantly opened the door.

"Where is she?"

"She's coming; I'd give her a few minutes," Jimmy wheezed.

"My dear, what happened? Why is your lip bleeding? What did you do?"

"I accidentally fell," Jimmy lied, not wanting to admit he'd been beaten up by a girl. "It's not a big deal, mom. Just let me get some ice." Mrs. Neutron bustled into the kitchen to quickly grab the necessary items to help her son. Jimmy followed and complained once or twice, but he couldn't argue that having a mother take care of him was best. He wondered why Cindy had overreacted about his comment on the kindness of his mother. Cindy was prone to outrageous fits that made absolutely no sense, but this was the icing on the cake.

A harsh knock at the door signaled her arrival. Jimmy closed his eyes and listened. He heard the gentle footsteps of his gracious mother, the slight creak of the aged door as it opened, and the penetrating high-pitched voice of his arch enemy. So…it was really going to happen, was it? He might as well revive the Neutrogump and silicon shoe coating mixture in order to run away without being seen. Perhaps he wouldn't mind a life on the road. Besides, he'd be extremely fit.

"Jimmy? Could you come in here a moment?"

Jimmy grumbled at the sound of his mother's voice. His stomach now felt like it was bleeding, but fortunately his lip had stopped. One quick glance at the metal spoon lying on the table told him that he looked approachable. He headed into the living room to meet his certain doom.

"Cindy here was telling me about your apology, and I hear that it wasn't genuine at all." Mrs. Neutron did not look happy one bit. Jimmy just glared at the blonde. "I want you to apologize to her in front of me so that I may validate the sincerity of your request for forgiveness."

Jimmy gulped. He hoped Cindy wasn't going to film this or anything. If only he could grab his hypno ray and…

"I'm waiting," Mrs. Neutron said, angrily folding her arms and tapping her foot. She looked a lot like Cindy when she did that. Jimmy cleared his mind. Puking Pluto! Had he really just compared his mother to…Vortex?

"I'm sorry, Cindy."

"Why are you sorry?" Mrs. Neutron prodded.

"I'm sorry because I tried to keep you from coming here."

"I want more of an apology than that, mister."

Jimmy cringed. "I'm sorry that I invented the Embarratron 1100 to persuade your family to want to send you elsewhere so that I could have a few Cindy-free days."

Mrs. Neutron glared at her son. "Erm—I mean, I did it so that I wouldn't have to see you."

"Jimmy—" Mrs. Neutron began.

"It's ok, Mrs. Neutron," Cindy piped up. She hadn't dared to say anything, but it seemed that now was the appropriate time to end this embarrassment. "Jimmy's sorry. May I ask where I'll be sleeping so I prepare for this evening?" Cindy politely asked.

"Certainly," Mrs. Neutron smiled, glad for a change of subject. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sleeping here on the couch. It's surprisingly comfortable, seeing as my husband had it stuffed with genuine duck feathers, and I promise that if you find you need anything at all during your stay, Jimmy would be more than happy to help. Wouldn't you, Jimmy?" She turned her authoritative gaze towards her paralyzed son, and he blinked in response. So this was to be his punishment: to serve Vortex.

"Thank you, Mrs. Neutron."

"Dinner will be ready in about an hour. Jimmy, would you mind showing Cindy your lab in the meantime? I hear you are very enthusiastic about science, Cindy."

"I am," Cindy smiled. "I won the school's science fair for four consecutive years."

"Impressive!" Mrs. Neutron beamed. "Then I think you'll enjoy Jimmy's lab."

"Mom!" Jimmy began to groan. "Cindy can't come in the lab."

"Why ever not?"

"Because…I'm inventing a highly…dangerous, chemically imbalanced—"

"I can handle it," Cindy said.

"I don't think it would be wise. Who knows what kind of—"

"Can I go see the lab now, Mrs. Neutron?"

"Yes, Cindy." Mrs. Neutron nodded. "Jimmy!" Mrs. Neutron barked. "Take Cindy to the lab this instant."

Jimmy grumbled a few more times, but he unwillingly led Cindy out of the living room, through the kitchen, into the backyard. They stood facing the small clubhouse.

"What are you playing at, Vortex?"

"Your mother is really the only nice person around here," she mused. "Take me to your lab or I'll tell her you yelled at me."

"I didn't yell—"

"Duh, Nerdtron. For being a genius, you're pretty dense sometimes. Just take me inside."

Jimmy activated Vox after having it identify the strand of hair he had plucked from his head. He'd have to be sure to wipe Cindy's memory after this for sure; she couldn't know how to get in his one place of solitude, which would now be far from it. The clubhouse door swung open to reveal a cramped area. In the far left corner, another box similar to that of the box outside the clubhouse, hung for dear life on the wooden paneling. Jimmy activated the box as well, and both Cindy and Jimmy slid down the dark crevasse that seemed to suddenly appear beneath their feet. Cindy screamed as the whole way down, and once they had reached the bottom, they landed a few feet away from a mattress.

"Neutron!" Cindy yelled, while rubbing her hindquarters. "What kind of joke is this? Why have a mattress if it doesn't lie directly underneath the hole? What kind of genius are you?"

Jimmy ignored her and left her to sit and mope on the hard concrete floor. He paced around the lab, deciding whether he should get to work on a new invention or find a way to convince Cindy to leave. Cindy slowly stood up, and stressed the fact that she was 'injured.' Jimmy continued to ignore her, so she watched the boy as he finally decided on making a new invention. He pulled out some blueprints from a notebook he had whipped out of his desk drawer, and his fingers flipped through the pages with such speed that left Cindy feeling slightly dizzy.

"What's that?"

Jimmy chanced an answer. "My science notebook. It contains every idea I've ever come up with."

"What are you working on next?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jimmy smirked. "Cindy, let me lay down a few rules."

"Listen, buster. I don't care if this is your lab, but I'm the guest, so if I ask what you're working on, you'll tell me what you're working on."

Jimmy shook his head as if Cindy had answered that two plus two was five. "Just because you have my mother in the palm of your hand doesn't mean you can boss me around."

"I just want to see, Dweebtron. Just show me already."

Jimmy groaned. "Fine. Look quickly because I need it back to begin working."

Cindy swiped the notebook out of Jimmy's hands and eagerly ate the pages with her eyes. She flipped through page after page until finding an invention that seemed to please her. "You invented a personal hair styler?"

"How do you think I come to school looking so good every day?" Jimmy grinned as he ran a hand through his whippy-like hair.

"So you've chalked that up as one of your failed inventions, huh?"

"You think you're so smart and funny," Jimmy mockingly laughed while searching for the hypno ray. "Oh Vortex, I almost urinated at that last comment."

"Too bad I didn't bring my camera," Cindy distractedly replied as she continued to flip through the pages of the notebook. "You invented a shoebot? What, are you too dumb to tie your own shoes?"

"For your information, shoebot provides the most modern, up-to date tying principles to anyone's factory-made imperfect shoelaces."

"Burping soda? Gross! I don't think Carl needs a reason to burp though…"

"It has its uses," Jimmy shrugged, mentally reprimanding himself on misplacing the hypno ray. "Are you done looking yet?"

"I still haven't found the invention you're going to work on," Cindy replied. She continued to scan through the pages until they grew empty. "Where is it?"

"I haven't drawn it in yet, Vortex. I'm still trying to figure out on a molecular scale the interactions between potassium and helium before I—"

"Well, I'm bored. Show me something entertaining."

"Is this what this is to you? A game?"

"If I'm here to stay," Cindy began as she leaned in close to Jimmy's face, "I will have fun." The emphasis on these last words made Jimmy cringe. What did she have in mind?

"I—I don't have anything new yet," Jimmy hurriedly said as he took the notebook out of Cindy's zealous fingers. "Can't we leave?"

"And do what, Neutron?" Cindy put her hands on her hips.

"I don't know. Is there anything you would like to do?"

"You're asking _me_ what _I_ want to _do_? Oh this has got to be a first! Can you wait a second while I bring in a witness to hear this? I just want to verify that I'm not just hearing things."

"Really, Cindy. Stop with the charades. They're getting old."

"Shut up. I want to go visit Libby."

"Fine. Go on ahead." Jimmy turned his back to the blonde to start a rough sketch of his newest idea.

"You're coming with."

"Why?" Jimmy sighed. He didn't even bother to turn around. He needed to focus before he lost any of his ideas.

"What if I need something? Like what if I suddenly need a glass of water to keep me hydrated? Wouldn't it be terrible if I fainted while under your care? What would your dear mother say?"

"Cindy Vortex, I am _not_ coming with you. There is no way that you are going to get me over there, and I refuse to be blackmailed in this sort of way. I have rights, you know, and I also know a thing or two about you that you probably wouldn't want everyone to know."

"You don't know anything about me, Neutron," Cindy laughed hesitantly.

"Wanna bet?" Jimmy sneered. He honestly had no idea what he was talking about. Cindy was right; he knew nothing about her, but remembering her behavior earlier, he knew that there was something hardly anyone knew. Perhaps he was beginning to uncover a dark secret.

"Your mother," he said, observing her reaction and straining his ears to hear her response for a possible clue as to why she was so upset earlier.

"What about her?" Cindy sharply asked. "She faints at the sight of morons? Yeah, that's some real blackmail right there. I would be horrified to find that you'd shared that fact with the town."

"You know what I mean," Jimmy continued. "I know your secret, Vortex."

"You know nothing; you just think you do! It's that stupid big head of yours. You always think you know more than everyone else, but guess what, Nerdtron? You don't! You don't have a clue, and you will never have a clue! Try to wrap your stupid brain around that for a change!" Cindy stormed out of the lab, and after a few minutes of stunned silence, Jimmy decided he'd better leave to find out the extent of damage he had caused.

Upon exiting the lab, he could see Cindy through the bay window animatedly talking to his mother. Great. This meant he'd hear about it when he got inside. Sure enough, once he'd entered through the back door, his mother rounded on him and forced him to apologize once more. Jimmy forced out another apology, and once his mother was satisfied, she asked them to sit down for dinner.

"Jimbo, your mother told me you're not being so nice to our guest here," Mr. Neutron said as he joined the pair at the dinner table. Mrs. Neutron walked in with four plates and carefully placed each plate in front of its respective owner.

Jimmy sighed. "I'm sorry." Those words would soon become a habitual part of his life the longer Vortex was around.

"Jimmy, it's not polite to insult the physique of our guests," Mrs. Neutron reprimanded him.

"Wha—? I said nothing about Cindy's….body," Jimmy awkwardly said. He chanced a glance in Cindy's direction to find her contentedly eating lima beans with her fork. It was sort of mesmerizing to see her aggressively stab the lima beans only to properly and carefully raise them to her mouth.

"I think we need to have a little talk after dinner, Jimjam."

"Really, dad, I've learned my lesson. I won't say anything else to embarrass and/or insult Cindy the duration of her pleasant stay in our welcoming home."

Both of his parents looked at each other to try to decipher the sudden change in attitude, but it was Cindy who spoke up first. "Mrs. Neutron? I promised my best friend Libby that I'd go over to her house today. Do you think Jimmy could accompany me over?"

"He'd be delighted to, wouldn't you, Jimmy?"

"Shucks," Jimmy began. "You know I would love too, mom, but I promised Carl and Sheen that we'd go see the new Ultralord movie today."

"You'll just have to reschedule," Mrs. Neutron said while picking at her mashed potatoes.

"I can't. We've been rescheduling for a month now. Today is the only day we could all see it."

"Didn't that movie come out two days ago?" Cindy quizzically asked.

"Uh…no. You must be thinking of another Ultralord movie," Jimmy nervously responded.

"Right, because a new Ultralord movie is coming out every other week." Cindy rolled her eyes at the obvious lie.

"You'd be surprised how many of those they make," Jimmy commented. "Anyway, I can't go, so can I be excused for dinner?"

"You may," Mrs. Neutron nodded. Jimmy hurriedly stood up to leave before his mother remembered something else. "But you'll be taking Cindy over in about fifteen minutes." Jimmy cringed.

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><p><strong>What'd you think? Is it still in character? I sure hope so. Let me know by leaving a review! :) <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**So I know I am very long winded sometimes, but I would just like to thank all of the support and wonderful reviews/critiques concerning my JN fanfics. It is such a comfort to know that this particular community has been more than willing to let me in, and I'm glad an 'outsider' like me can become a part of a great cause (as I like to deem it). Thanks again, and I'm sorry I'm so slow at updating. Hopefully this chapter will make up for the unexpected delays and my SLOWNESS. :P **

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><p>"Now I have to take stupid Vortex over, and I can't find the hypno ray, and—" Jimmy continued to mutter more injustices under his breath. Goddard watched as Jimmy haphazardly threw things about his room. His mother had told him to do some quick cleaning before he left, and if he behaved himself at Libby's, he could go to the movie with Sheen and Carl. Jimmy didn't particularly want to do any of these things; he'd rather be inventing something in his lab than socializing with people. People made him angry. His lab only brought him happiness.<p>

"Neutron!" a scathing voice pierced the momentary silence. "Where are you?"

What was she doing up here? Oh this was going too far…he had to stop this before she did something drastic like entering his room. "Vortex!" he yelled with as much contempt as he could muster. "I'm coming! Go back downstairs and wait! Leave me alone for once in your life! I don't want to see or hear you right now!"

It was quiet after this, but had Jimmy really listened instead of vehemently fuming and throwing miscellaneous objects, he would have faintly heard a girl crying. Goddard whimpered, but Jimmy ignored it. He was filled and blinded with rage; nothing could touch his sympathies at the moment.

Once his room was somewhat more organized than before—including objects hidden under his bed, which he had scientifically enhanced the girth with which objects could be forcefully shoved beneath—he headed downstairs to face what lie before him. He no longer cared if his mother forced him to apologize again. He was becoming an expert at mandatory apologies.

"Jimmy, are you ready to go?" his mother asked when he entered the living room. Jimmy analyzed her in surprise; he thought for sure that Vortex would have repeated his words to her, possibly adding a few nastier ones into the mix. "Cindy said that she was going to start walking over. I told her you'd catch up."

Jimmy mutely nodded and opened the front door to find where Cindy had gone off too. He slowly ambled down the few steps from his front porch to the concrete sliver, which passed directly through the center of the Neutron's front yard, connecting his house to the infinite linking sidewalks that brought together the whole neighborhood, and in essence, Retroville. Cindy was surely meandering along one of these pathways, finding her way to her best friend's house. As Jimmy walked along the sidewalk, he reflected on his behavior to Vortex before she had left. Something told him that he had been in the wrong, but he could still clearly recall her mocking words earlier that day. They stung like multiple electric shocks from the Dance Teacher 8000. He dwelt on her cruel words until he found himself knocking on Libby's front door.

A young girl with cornrow braids and deep brown eyes opened the door. She looked Jimmy up and down before asking: "You're seriously Cindy's usher?"

Jimmy didn't respond, but he entered the home once Libby had opened the door far enough to let his small body squeeze through the opening. She wordlessly led him into her living room where Cindy was alertly perched atop one of the couches. Her face oddly looked a little swollen, and when she looked up to make eye contact with Jimmy, her eyebrows furrowed together, and the corners of her mouth were disproportionately pulled down by gravity.

"Ah, Monkeyboy is finally here," she noted aloud.

"How long are you planning, Vortex?" he asked, folding his arms as if to demonstrate how little he wanted to be here.

"Until I feel like leaving, Nerdtron. Just go play in a corner with one of your inventions. C'mon, Libby. Let's talk somewhere else."

The two girls took to the stairs, and Jimmy angrily muttered as he sat on the couch. Why in the world would she bring him here if he was just going to sit and wait? Oh that's right…because it was Cindy Vortex. Nothing much made sense about her. Jimmy suddenly recalled her appearance before she had stormed away with Libby. Why had her eyes been puffy? It wasn't like Cindy to cry. If anything, she would rather yell or punch, not cry. Jimmy wished to himself that he would never have to see that face again…not that he cared if she was happy or not.

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><p>"Why did you force Jimmy to come along?"<p>

"To punish him," Cindy shrugged. The two girls were sitting on the edge of Libby's bed, both of their legs dangling and swinging over the edge.

"You shouldn't have brought him. I think he noticed that you were crying. That could lead to awkward questions later."

"It's not like he'll care. He doesn't even notice me until I either insult him or make fun of him." Cindy brought her legs up to her chest to hold them close to her body.

"This has got to stop. You can't keep taking out your anger on the kid. He's not the one making your life hell."

Cindy sniffled a little. "He's a major factor that it is hell, Libby." Libby put an arm around Cindy's shoulder to try and comfort her friend. Cindy was so much prettier when she smiled. Too bad she rarely did that nowadays.

"But he's not the reason why you're crying, is he?"

"That idiot makes me cry more than he'll ever know, but no, Libs, I'm not crying about him right now." Here, Cindy paused to try and calm herself before any unacceptable tears fell. "I just can't take it anymore. My home is a disaster. My parents decided to go on a last minute vacation to the Bahamas to try and see if it'll fix anything, but I don't think it will. My mother has always been such a control freak. I don't think my dad will be able to take much more."

"Hang in there, girl. Remember, I have your back." Libby smiled encouragingly at her friend. "I'll never leave you hanging. You can count on it."

Cindy rubbed one of her eyes to try and avoid more tears. "I'm so glad you're my friend, Libs. I think I would have been toast if I hadn't met you when I did. I never understood just how serious this whole…this whole thing was. I feel like it's going to happen any minute, and I'm just praying, to whoever will listen, that it doesn't."

"No matter what happens, you'll get through it. You're a tough chick, Cin. You can deal with anything that's thrown at you."

"I sure hope so." Cindy exhaled a loud, shaky breath, and the two girls sat, one holding the other for dear life, while the other gently rubbed her friend's back. The two sat for what felt like an eternity, but neither wanted to let go of the other. They truly were best friends until the bitter end. They'd met a few years back, and their instant connection blossomed into one of the closest relationships either of them had ever had.

Libby decided that now would be a good time to remind Cindy of some of the brighter moments of their lives. "Do you remember the first project we were assigned to do together in third grade?"

Cindy chuckled. "Yeah. You thought that we were going to flunk because I kept yelling at you like every second."

"That was sure an interesting project. What exactly happened to help us stop fighting?"

Cindy was quiet. "Oh," Libby sighed. "Now I remember."

The girls continued to sit in the same position, both letting the memory of the eventful project flood their minds.

Cindy and Libby had been assigned to work on the same project together by their teacher, Mr. Bawk. They were to give a three minute presentation on their favorite pastimes. The girls had rarely talked to each other before the project. In fact, they hardly knew anything about the other. Libby assumed that Cindy was big mouthed and egotistical, while Cindy saw Libby as music obsessed and fashion driven. Neither had ever spoken to the other, but after being assigned to work together, the two girls met after school to begin working.

Cindy had been filled with rage at the fact that Libby wouldn't cooperate with what she had had in mind. She had wanted to focus primarily on academics and karate, while Libby had gushed over music and the latest fashion critiques. Cindy was used to getting everything she wanted. Never before had she met resistance. After unsuccessfully attempting to get Libby to see the "right" way, she stormed out of Libby's house and ran all the way home. She'd been in a crying fit, and when she'd gone home, her mother had mocked her for letting a schoolmate get the better of her.

Libby had felt bad about rejecting Cindy's ideas, and after consulting with her parents on what she should do, she decided to go to Cindy's home to apologize. Within minutes, she was rapping her small fist on the large, wooden door. A tall woman with dark hair pulled up into a neat bun answered the door. She glared down at Libby, and Libby suddenly felt very small and insignificant.

"Are you the girl Cindy's been foolishly crying over for the past ten minutes?" the lady growled. Libby, eyes wide, just stared up at this frightening figure, and before she could even formulate a response, the woman was yelling for Cindy to come. Cindy, eyes puffy and red, slouched into view, and her mother pointed at Libby.

"Is she the one?" Cindy just nodded her head. "You must be joking, Cynthia. You were crying over this rapscallion? Grow up and handle this yourself. Don't come crying to me the next time you encounter a silly problem such as this. We Vortexes don't cry over petty children." With that being said, the woman left, and the two girls awkwardly stared at each other.

"I—" Cindy began to say.

Libby held up a hand, understanding more about Cindy than anything she'd ever learned about her in school. "It's ok. Come back over, and we'll do the project your way."

"We—we don't have to. I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. My mom…" Cindy trailed off.

"Say no more. Let's just go back over to my house to finish the project."

The two girls began the seemingly long walk back to Libby's house. "I'm sorry you had to see that," Cindy apologized. "My mom is…" Cindy unnaturally stopped midsentence.

"You're fine, Cindy. You don't need to explain anything to me. Let's just finish this project so we can do something fun. Are you into music?"

Cindy smiled. "It's obvious that you are," she teased. "It depends on what music you're talking about."

"Ever heard of Boys Pretending to be Men?" Libby excitedly asked.

"Yeah! They're pretty good, actually."

"I have their newest CD. We can have our own little dance party when we're finished!"

"Sounds like fun!" Cindy laughed.

Once the girls had finished the project (under Cindy's jurisdiction and Libby's know-how), Libby pulled out her pride and joy: her little boom box. "My daddy gave this to me last year!" she animatedly squealed as she popped in the CD. Once the music had started playing, the girls laughed and danced their worries away. This was only the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Coming back to the present, Cindy suddenly stood up, catching Libby off guard and almost causing her to fall on her face. "I love that band. They brought us together."

Libby stood up to join her friend as they both gazed out the window. "Do you now understand why I love music so much? It has a talent nothing else has: it can change lives."

Cindy turned to face her friend. "You've helped me so much through the years. What in the world have I done for you?"

Libby scoffed. "Girl, you can't be serious! What have you done for me? You've pushed me to do my best in school, and even though I'm not as smart as you, I've learned so much and actually have tried to be better than my best."

"Well, I'm such a crummy person, especially when it comes to Neutron downstairs." Cindy stared down at her toes as Libby put a hand on her shoulder.

"Just apologize."

"He'll think it's a joke. Or that I'm trying to trick him."

Libby put a hand to Cindy's heart. "If it comes from there, he'll know it's not a joke. Besides, don't you have something else you should say to him anyway?"

Cindy felt her cheeks begin to burn. "No," she solidly said. "That's all I have to say at the moment."

Libby playfully rolled her eyes at her friend. "Let's go downstairs. I sure hope he hasn't blown up my living room yet."

* * *

><p>Jimmy twiddled his thumbs. No, that wouldn't do. He began to pace the room. That wasn't good either. He began to refresh his memory on Cantor's Theorem. Nothing was working. For probably one of the first times in his young life, Jimmy Neutron was…bored. He reflected on what Cindy has said to him before the girls went upstairs. Maybe he <em>would<em> play with another invention. He pulled out his science notebook to sketch any ideas that might come in a sudden burst of inspiration. He sat for a few moments, hand eagerly poised and ready to write the first idea that came to mind. Time wore on, but still, the paper remained blank. Jimmy sighed. He'd have to try something else.

He walked around, observing the small yet finely decorated fireplace, the overstuffed maroon couches, and the sound system installed into the wall. It was obvious where Libby had obtained her love of music. The pictures on the fireplace's mantle showed her father playing the piano, and a younger Libby and her brother were apparently singing along. Jimmy chuckled to himself as he gazed at the pictures. There was not one picture that didn't have some type of musical instrument in it.

Jimmy worked his way across the entirety of the small room, eventually observing the walls and the pictures and decorations that hung there. He had never noticed before how clean and precise the Folfax's were, but he'd never really been to Libby's house either. A sudden crunching sound caused Jimmy to jump a little, but when he looked down, he saw that he had accidentally stepped on a small bag. He tenderly picked it up, hoping that he hadn't broken anything of Libby's. On further examination, he realized it was a makeup bag. He laughed. He never understood why girls so wanted to put potentially harmful substances all over their faces. If anything, it seemed unnatural, and there wasn't much makeup could do for a girl's face. An image of Betty suddenly flashed in his mind. He was sure she would look just as beautiful whether she was wearing makeup or not.

The rather large zipper glistened more than scientifically possible, enticing Jimmy to unzip the small pouch and reveal the contents within. All of the usual accessories were present—blush, eyeliner, lip gloss, eye shadow, and mascara. Jimmy quietly but quickly unscrewed the small mascara tube. He peered inside, sniffed the bottle a few times, and even tested the brush against the back of his hand. The brush left a black, goopy stain, but he ignored both it and his inability to remove it. After rummaging a bit more through the bag, he found a small mirror. He analyzed himself in the mirror, noting his rather pale complexion. His eyes involuntarily wandered to the small blush container now lying on the floor, and he picked it up. It was said that adding blush could give a person the look of life when someone looked almost on the verge of death. Jimmy hesitantly opened the small container and dabbed both his index and middle fingers on his right hand into the swirl of crimson powder. He brought his fingers up to one of his cheeks and began to rub against his soft skin, every now and again, checking to see the effects of his appliance. Once he was done, he noticed the new shimmer and glow the blush seemed to bring out in his face.

But Jimmy wasn't done yet. He grabbed the eyeliner pencil and twirled it between his fingers a few times. It was just like drawing a line on a piece of paper. Girls did it to "bring out their eyes." Jimmy put the pencil down for a moment. What was he doing? He wasn't a girl fawning over artificial applicators! Why had his scientific curiosity suddenly been intrigued? Perhaps it was due to the lack of ideas for new inventions or the fact that he'd never really analyzed makeup before. Either way, Jimmy knew he was playing a dangerous game. He looked over his shoulder to see if Cindy was secretly recording him, but he was the only one present in the living room. The girls would probably be talking for at least another hour. Girls could somehow find words to talk about their lack of words; they were probably gabbing away about some boy band….or Nick Dean. Blech.

The eyeliner pencil sat still on the floor, but Jimmy could have sworn it was slowly inching its way closer to him. He picked it up again and sighed. He would just put it on and then immediately rub it off. No one would ever know. He was only doing this out of scientific curiosity.

He hastily grabbed one of his eyelids and stretched his face to remove any creases. The pencil shakily found its way near his tear duct, and he etched a line across the bottom of his eyelid. It wasn't bad for a first attempt, but there had been places where the line had irregularly risen in a few places. He placed another reasonably straight line on the other eye. With his eyeliner intact, he reached for the eye shadow. Footsteps on the stairs told him he wouldn't be alone for long. He internally panicked, knowing that he shouldn't have let his curiosity get the better of him. He took his hand and rubbed his face as hard and as fast as he possibly could. Thinking that the makeup had vanished, he turned around to face the girls like he'd just been enjoying the time alone.

"Just say it, Cindy," Libby said as the girls came into view. Both looked away from each other to look at Jimmy, and neither said a word. A look of revulsion appeared on both of their faces, and Jimmy gulped. He was in trouble now.

"Neutron?" Cindy hesitantly asked. "Are you wearing…makeup?"

Jimmy grabbed the little mirror to see if his rubbing hadn't paid off. It was worse than he could have imagined. The makeup had smeared everywhere, and there were even parts where the red blush and black eyeliner had been fused together. He cursed his stupidity, and he began to cover his face from view.

"Of course not, Vortex! Why do you have to immediately jump to conclusions?"

"Because your face is covered," Libby laughed. She then stopped as suddenly as she had started, noticing the makeup bag and its contents sprawled all over the floor. "Wait…is that _my_ makeup? Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no! A boy was wearing _my_ makeup….and I wasn't here to help?"

"Cool it, Libs. I think Neutron here has a little explaining to do," Cindy smirked as she expectantly folded her arms. "What do you have to say for yourself? Did you think you could impress Quinlan if you knew how to apply makeup?"

Jimmy blushed. He cursed himself for blushing. Not only did it show that he had been caught, but it was probably making his cheeks even redder than they were before. "No."

"Do you want to be a makeup artist or something when you're older?" Libby asked.

"I thought the science thing was more your type of gig, but I guess you could be a professional makeup artist. I mean, rubbing makeup all over your face is so in right now."

The girls laughed and laughed, doubling over and trying to catch their breaths. Cindy was the first to slowly control her giggling fit, and she eyed Neutron with a very different look than she had ever previously given him. "Honestly though. What were you thinking?"

"Nothing," he angrily grumbled. "Are you done yet? I'm ready to leave." He began to head for the front door. Cindy jumped in front of him to block his escape.

"Not so fast," she murmured. "I have something to say to you." Her right index finger was inches away from his nose.

"If you're going to continue to insult me, I've heard enough of it for one day." Jimmy tried to push past Cindy, but she knocked him to the ground.

"Listen, I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but you have to be patient with me."

"Why?" Jimmy asked as he stood up, making a show of dusting himself off.

"Because I'm sorry," she slowly whispered. Jimmy's head turned in Cindy's direction. He cleaned both ears before asking her to repeat what she had just said.

"Oh don't play dumb, Neutron. You heard what I said."

"You sure experience severe mood swings," he remarked. "Have you been to a doctor lately?"

"You can either accept the apology or continue to face the wrath of Vortex. It's your choice, Neutron. We can get along this weekend, or we can fight until I win."

Jimmy growled. She was giving him an ultimatum? He never understood where she thought her assumed power came from, but it didn't fare well with him.

"Whatever, Vortex. I accept."

"Good," she smugly said. "Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>I actually would like to bring up the fact that in some of the reviews for my one-shot I Hate Him, some people wanted me to continue. It was meant to be just a one-shot, but I will admit that it could have potential to become a mini story. If anyone would like me to continue and has ideas, I wouldn't mind hearing them. Just PM me or leave a review. <strong>

**Hopefully you liked this chapter! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ohhhhhh...Kaaaaaaay...I had major writer's block while writing this...so it's like...WAAAAAAY shorter than I would have liked and not as cool as I wanted it to be. :( Darnit...**

* * *

><p>The walk back to the Neutron's home was uncomfortable, to say the least. Jimmy couldn't believe that Vortex had actually stepped off her pedestal to apologize, and Cindy couldn't believe that Neutron had still acted so arrogant and uppity after she'd coughed out an apology. Both kept a distance of at least three feet from each other, and they gazed off in opposite directions as they slowly meandered back. Neither would ever admit it, but the walk back was somewhat healing. Though they kept to their own thoughts, their thoughts were solely focused on the other, something which helped them sort through the overload of emotions and information.<p>

_What is going on, Neutron? I can't actually be empathizing with that…**creature**. Not long ago, she was telling on me to mom every other minute. Why now am I accepting the apology and agreeing with her? I really need to spend some time with the guys. Being around all this femininity is going to be the bane of my existence. _

_ Stupid Neutron. He doesn't get it. I told Libs that he wouldn't take my apology seriously. I told her, and she didn't believe me. Why doesn't anyone listen to me? And she wanted me to tell him the…other thing? Yeah right. I can only imagine the look on his face if I did. I would like to avoid more humiliation, thank you. _

_ Maybe I should say something to her. She looks as if she's ready to explode. On second thought, I won't say anything. Knowing her, she'll probably punch me again. That last punch was more forceful than I had expected, and I wouldn't like to go home again a bleeding mess. Terry was bad enough. I don't want Vortex using me as a punching bag. _

_ Libs does have a point though. I do need to say something. This has got to stop. I can't keep picking on Mr. Bighead, even if he is a show-off and a jerk. He doesn't deserve it. He doesn't know what's going on, so I can't blame him. It's so easy to though, and it's more than convenient to have someone I can take out my anger on. But it's not fair. Ugh listen to yourself! You're considering going easy on him? That does not sound like you…_

Jimmy knocked on his front door. His father was the one to answer. "Phew, Jimbo! You're still in one piece! I mean…come inside. We're getting ready to have pie. It's blueberry today!"

Jimmy couldn't help but glance at Cindy to see her reaction. She was trying to hide a smile, but it was obvious that she considered the fact that his own father thought that Cindy could obliterate him entertaining. He had to admit, she probably could if she really wanted to.

"Jimmy? Cindy? How was your visit with Libby?" Mrs. Neutron came bustling in with her cleaning kit—a belt equipped with the latest and greatest cleaning materials, a feather duster in one hand, and a sponge in the other. "I was just reorganizing the cellar again. You wouldn't believe how filthy it becomes after a few days."

Cindy looked to Jimmy, and their eyes met. She seemed to be silently questioning the cleaning obsession his mother had, and all he did was shrug. After this simple gesture, he immediately looked away. Why were his eyes always straying to hers? Why did he care what kind of reaction she had to his abnormal family?

"It was fine," Cindy smiled pleasantly at Mrs. Neutron. "Thank you for letting Jimmy come along."

Jimmy began to scowl. She made it sound like he had wanted to go. "It was my pleasure," he sarcastically added.

Mrs. Neutron looked from both her son and Cindy. A small smile tugged at her lips. Was it possible that the two were finally getting along? Perhaps it would be a peaceful weekend after all. "We're getting ready to have pie now. Your father is ecstatic. Cindy, after pie, do you mind if I show you a few things in order for you to be fully comfortable here?"

"Certainly," Cindy smiled.

The four made their way into the kitchen to crowd around the table to let their stomachs become engorged with the pie Judy had lovingly cooked from scratch. Hugh continually groaned in delight as he devoured half of the pie. Jimmy disgustedly watched his father and mentally moaned in his mind. Who knew what Vortex was thinking now? His father's eating habits were purely animalistic. The way in which he used his hands like pincers to snatch at various pieces of food only to hurriedly shove them down his gullet truly set Hugh apart from other normal humans. Jimmy was surprised his father hadn't yet tried to nibble at his food like a duck. It would only be a matter of time.

Jimmy half-heartedly picked at the pie with his fork. He wasn't really hungry, but he didn't want to offend his mother by not eating it. His slow and careful cutting earned him extra time to contemplate. What was going on? His mind felt as if…

"Cindy? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Mrs. Neutron suddenly said, causing Jimmy to almost fall backward off of his chair.

Cindy looked up at Mrs. Neutron, a look of confusion dashing across her features. "Sure." She awkwardly stood up and followed Mrs. Neutron into the family room and sat wordlessly on the couch when Judy had pointed at it.

"This is going to seem very unorthodox and probably extremely strange, but I need to know. Cindy, how are you?" Mrs. Neutron's eyes grew wide as she stared into the girl's green ones.

Cindy, obviously uncomfortable by this question, quickly answered. "I'm fine."

Mrs. Neutron sat down next to her and looked as if she was about to gently put an arm around the girl's frame, but she decided not to. "You can tell me, you know?" she barely whispered. "I only want to help. I can see you have an unfair burden placed on your shoulders. Wouldn't it feel good if you could tell someone about it?"

"I already have," Cindy responded. Her eyes bulged slightly once she realized what she'd said. "I mean, I-I have nothing to say. Everything's fine."

"Your mother expects a lot from you."

"She wants me to be the best I can be. There's nothing wrong with that," Cindy nervously said, worry clearly contaminating her voice.

"Of course not, dear," Mrs. Neutron smiled. "Being the best you can be is what every parent wants for their child. Take time to realize that you're already performing at a rate that not most children your age could not even fathom. You are quite an amazing young woman."

Cindy's eyebrows knit together, her hands balled up into fists, and her breathing began to come in huge gulps. Cindy Vortex never cried. In fact, she sometimes joked that she didn't even have tear ducts. She was stone solid; she was a fighter. She didn't get all emotional (except with Libby), and she sure as heck wasn't going to bawl in front of Neutron's mom.

Her hands flew to her face as the tears flowed. Mrs. Neutron, shocked by the sudden change in attitude, carefully placed her left hand on the girl's back and began to rub. Cindy silently sobbed, and Mrs. Neutron continued to rub her back and smile encouragingly.

"I-I don't know w-why I'm c-cr-crying," Cindy gasped between her boisterous sobs. "My life is f-f-f-f-f—" But Cindy couldn't finish the last word, and Mrs. Neutron let her continue to cry, straining her ears to hear if the boys had heard any of this. To her relief, she could hear Hugh telling Jimmy the difference between a male duck and a female duck. On second thought, maybe she didn't want Jimmy to hear that just yet.

"I'm sorry," Cindy miserably mumbled after a few moments. Her heaving body had slowed back down to a regular rhythmic pace, and her eyes returned to their normal hue of white. "I've been having terrible allergies lately," she fibbed.

Mrs. Neutron just nodded her head. She knew that something much deeper was working on Cindy's heart, but she also knew that it would be only a matter of time before the girl would tell her. She just hoped that it wouldn't be too late.

* * *

><p>"Do you think he's been killed yet?"<p>

Two young boys were sitting on an ornately decorated bed in an obnoxiously purple room. Replicas of the same action figure were scattered across the bedroom floor like glass shards left from a broken bottle. The small, portly figure had been the one to ask the question. The thin, maniacal one simple shrugged.

"Sheen, maybe we should do something."

"Not to worry, Carl. While you were worrying, I just came up with a brilliant plan!" Sheen stuck his finger up in the air as if reaching for an invisible nostril to pick.

"What's that?" Carl hesitantly asked.

"We bust Jimmy out."

Carl gasped. "How do we do that? If we get in trouble, I'm never playing Ultralord with you again." Carl folded his arms to make his point.

Sheen rolled his eyes. "When have I ever lead you wrong before?"

"Tell me I don't have to answer that…"

"Doesn't matter because this plan's gonna work!" Sheen's hands rubbed against each other so quickly, Carl swore he saw faint sparks shoot out.

"How? What's the plan?"

Sheen stood up and positioned himself in the center of the room. "We'll sneak over to Jimmy's house at night." Sheen brought his arms close to his body as if imitating a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and his legs bent as he tiptoed across the room. "Then, we'll climb up to his window." His arms began to alternately go up and down as if climbing an invisible ladder. "And when no one's looking, we'll snatch him from his room and run off like thieves in the night!" Sheen ended his presentation by running in circles around the room.

"How will we climb up? My arms aren't fit to hold my body weight, and I've never been a very good climber."

"Good point," Sheen agreed, a finger seemingly glued to his chin as he contemplated an alternative solution. "Ah-hah! You don't have to climb up. Why don't you just give me a boost, and I'll fetch Jimmy?"

"Remember the last time I gave you a boost? You almost broke my scapula…"

"You and your oversensitive body, Carl!" Sheen spazzed. "How do you live with yourself?" His face was inches from Carl, his eyes looking in two different directions. Carl cowered in fear.

"OK, OK, it's a deal!" he yelled. "What time are we going to do this?"

"The sooner, the better!" Sheen yelled back. "TONIGHT, WE RESCUE JIMMY NEUTRON!"

* * *

><p><strong>I couldn't leave these two out of the picture, so they'll play their role in this story. ;) <strong>

**Again, sorry about it being so freakin' short...It's been hard enough trying to deal with the fifty billion things I have to do, and it doesn't help reading all of these excellent stories on here and then wanting to cry whenever I read mine. Lol. :/**


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow-whee! I didn't expect to get this chapter up so fast, but here it is! Chapter six, coming at ya! :) **

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><p>"My sugarest of boogers, do you know where I put Quacky?"<p>

"Honey, you probably left him in your 'duck cave' again."

"You're probably right. I'll go have a looksee in the morning. By the way, what were you talking to Cindy about while I told Jimbo the fundamental differences between boy and girl ducks?"

Mrs. Neutron, lying carelessly atop their king-sized bed, quickly grabbed a nearby book and flipped it open to begin reading. Hugh leapt onto his side of the bed, and he ripped the covers off to envelope himself like a duck in an egg. He looked over at his wife, noticing her sudden interest in a book about ducks.

"Go to page ninety-three," he suggested. "If you flip there, you'll find that…"

"I already saw it."

Hugh awkwardly stared at the cover. "Is something troubling you? You're acting so…err…not yourself."

"What would give you that idea? Can't I read in peace?"

"But sugar booger, I was only wondering…"

"And I'm wondering when you will let me actually read instead of continually pestering me."

Mr. Neutron turned onto his side and said no more to his wife.

* * *

><p>Cindy lay as still as a board. The couch was surprisingly comfortable, but she hated the dark. She didn't mention it to Neutron's mom, especially after she had almost let herself slip earlier that evening. She didn't want to give Mrs. Neutron a reason to have another confrontation with her. Was it that obvious that she was struggling?<p>

An abrupt noise in the kitchen sent chills running up Cindy's spine. She slowly propped herself up onto her elbows, craning her neck to try and identify the source of the noise. She was temporarily rooted to the spot, but her curiosity eventually got the better of her. She silently removed the duck-encrusted blanket the Neutrons had loaned her for the evening, and she slid her legs over the side of the couch. Her bare feet touched the floor, and she gently stood up, making sure not to step on a noisy floorboard or stumble over an invisible object as she made her way into the kitchen. Once she reached the opening, her hands snakingly slid up the sides of the door to support her now trembling frame. The noise sounded again, but this time, it came from right behind her.

"!" A blood-curdling scream erupted from her vocal chords.

"CINDY!"

She flipped around to find Jimmy standing there, a glass of water in one hand and a book in the other. Her hand flew to her chest as she felt her heart beat a mile a minute. Her breathing came in short spurts, and her head began to spin.

"What in Einstein's name are you screaming for?"

Cindy had to catch her breath before angrily answering. "You idiot! You can't just be creeping around in the dark like that!"

"Let me just remind you, this is _my _house, and I wasn't creeping around! I was getting a glass of water!" He held up the small plastic cup as proof of his innocence. She skeptically eyed it, but her attention was immediately sucked up by the fudgehead once more.

"You were trying to scare me, weren't you? Only you would have the nerve to horrify someone when she clearly isn't too fond of the dark!"

"You're scared of the dark?" Jimmy's eyebrows rose slightly.

Cindy's hands balled up into fists. "No, I'm not afraid of the dark! What would give you that stupid impression?"

"You said you weren't fond of it," Jimmy reminded her.

"That doesn't mean that I'm scared of it." She folded her arms as her ponytail dangerously swayed behind her. "Just go back upstairs, freak boy! I need my beauty sleep." She began to walk back towards the couch.

Mr. and Mrs. Neutron came bustling down the stairs. Hugh accidentally ran smack into Jimmy, causing him to splash water all over himself. Judy headed straight for Cindy. Cindy sighed. The second confrontation was going to come a lot faster than she had formerly anticipated.

"What's going on? We heard you scream. Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," she responded without a second thought.

Mrs. Neutron shook her head. "Obviously not. Jimmy, do you think you could spend the night down here?"

Jimmy had been temporarily distracted with his father and the mess he had just created. His eyes flew up at the ridiculous request his mother had now silently, yet forcefully, commanded him to obey. His eyes widened, and his mouth slightly opened.

"Mom, that really isn't necessary. You see, Cindy was snooping around—"

"Excuse me!" Cindy flared up, shooting daggers at Jimmy's big head. "I heard a very alarming noise coming from the kitchen. I went to investigate, and you thought it would be funny to scare the living daylights out of me!"

"I did not! Just because you're scared of the dark doesn't give you the right to blame me!"

"Jimmy," Mrs. Neutron warned. "You will bring down a pillow and blanket right now. Cindy, lie back down and try to get some sleep."

"Mrs. Neutron, you really don't need to have Jimmy come down. I'm perfectly capable of going to sleep without _his _company."

"I'm sure you are," Mrs. Neutron mischievously smiled. "Either way, Jimmy will join you. James," she began, turning to her son. "You will not disobey this order, and if I hear any complaints about your behavior in the morning, you will severely regret it."

"Yes, mother." He ran as fast as his short, stubby legs could carry him up to his bedroom to reluctantly fetch his blanket and pillow.

* * *

><p>The night was relatively young. The sun had gone down, but everyone in Retroville was still awake. The nipping weather, however, drove most people to stay indoors. Homes were ablaze with the heat of electricity, but two young boys had decided they would not conform to their town's norms, and instead, they ventured out into the darkness.<p>

"Carl? CARL?" Sheen loudly whispered.

"Sorry…sorry…sorry…" Carl huffed as he ran to catch up. Sheen had been impatiently waiting behind Carl's home. A black mask covered his face, and he handed one to a breathless Carl.

"What in Ultra Lord's deluxe undergarment special edition version seven took you so long?"

"I'm sorry! I had to sneak out, remember? My parents don't know that we're doing this."

"Neither do mine. I just left," Sheen shrugged. "Do you have what I told you to bring?"

"The Fish Snack 'Ems? Yeah, but I don't know why you asked me to bring them." Carl took off a torn backpack he had carelessly slung on one shoulder and unzipped the front pocket to reveal a compartment stuffed with the seafood treat.

"I might get hungry, especially since I'm doing all the work," Sheen complained. "That's why you will provide me with the necessary food units I'll need to accomplish this dangerous mission!"

"OK, just be sure not to strain yourself. Oh, and don't go swimming an hour after you eat."

"We're not swimming, Carl. C'mon." Sheen motioned for his friend to follow, and the two snuck over to the Neutron's yard.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"You question "The Sheen?" 'Course I know what I'm doing! Give me a boost!" Sheen motioned for Carl to come closer, and Carl obeyed. Sheen rather awkwardly mounted Carl's shoulders, occasionally stepping on his feet, face, and hands—basically any part of Carl was not safe from Sheen's sneakers. Carl stretched his round body as much as he could to give Sheen an easier climb to the bedroom window. From this extra height, Sheen leapt as high as he could to grasp a protruding rock that had managed to wedge itself between some of the siding on the outskirts of the house. He used all of his arm strength to lift himself up to grab onto the window. He successfully managed this difficult maneuver, and he looked down at Carl to give him one of his crazed smiles. Carl gave two thumbs up, and Sheen knocked on the window with his forehead.

Nothing happened.

Sheen knocked again, this time a little harder. His head began to pound, but he continued to knock anyway.

"Sheen?" Carl called up. "I don't think Jimmy's coming."

"He's got to come! We came here to bust him out! Why wouldn't he be coming?"

"Maybe he's doing okay…" Carl began.

"With Cindy? I wouldn't be surprised if she had already torn his body limb from limb and devoured his innards like the Gurdas from Ultra Lord episode ninety-seven!" Sheen exclaimed. He teetered back and forth as he said this, swinging like a loose vine in the wind.

"Careful, Sheen! You might slip!"

Each time he talked, his grip became a little looser. "Don't worry, Carl. I can't fall. I've got the fingers of a spider monkey."

With that being said, Sheen fell. His head hit the ground first, and a resounding crack filled the night air. Carl screamed.

"Sheen! SHEEN!" Carl hurried over to where his friend lay, unconscious and bleeding. Sheen's body was bent in funny angles, and blood was freely flowing from his skull onto the green grass, staining it a dark red. Carl ripped open his backpack and found his comfort blanket that he had brought just in case. With one quick motion, he ripped it in half and wrapped the material around Sheen's head several times. A few moments of fast wrapping and tying later let Carl breathe a little easier as he realized the bleeding had been temporarily quelled. Now he needed to go for help.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you made me do this," Jimmy groaned.<p>

"I didn't make you do anything. This is what you get when you're a little sneak."

"Sneak? You think I wanted to come down and spy on you?"

"How do I know what goes on in that big brain of yours?"

"You're ridiculous," he moaned. He turned to his side, giving his back a rest from the hard, wooden floor. He grabbed his blankets a little more securely as he pulled them up to his neck.

Cindy sniffled slightly. "I wish that my parents didn't have to leave." She stared up at the ceiling as she unconsciously gripped her blanket a little more tensely.

Jimmy ignored the comment and began to snore, hoping that she would stop talking. She continued onward anyway. "I wish that they would have taken me with them instead of dumping me off here like unwanted baggage."

"Cindy, I'm not trying to be rude, but do you think you could stop talking so I can get some sleep tonight?"

A slight pause ensued. "I'm surprised you weren't trying to be rude because you still managed it. You are pro now, Neutron."

He propped himself up and curiously peered at her. She noticed him eyeing her and fiercely stared back at him. Her harsh manner eventually dissipated, and instead, she studied him. It was a rather odd moment, and it ended quickly.

"Why did your parents leave?" Jimmy dared to whisper as he lay back down.

He could hear Cindy scoff at this. "To get away from it all. Having your family as neighbors makes for a tough living."

A slight smile found its way onto his face. "I don't blame your parents. My folks are pretty…different."

"Your mother is nice," Cindy kindly said. "But your father…"

"Is a whack job? Needs therapy? Should be allowed to live with the ducks and leave human society well alone?"

Cindy laughed in spite of herself. "All of the above."

Another pause followed. "You still love him don't you? Your father?"

"Of course I do," Jimmy shrugged. "He's still my dad."

Cindy ceased to ask questions, and Jimmy felt that it was suddenly his turn for more inquiries. Never in his whole life had he talked about something as personal as family with Cindy Vortex. He wasn't about to mess up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity now.

"How are your parents? I don't really know what they're like."

Cindy loudly sighed, but to Jimmy's surprise, she didn't chew him out for asking or make any sort of catty remarks. "Since I won't be able to sleep a wink tonight, I might as well talk to you instead of trying to find some way to distract myself. If you really want to know, my mother is a perfectionist, and my father is a hard worker. They both push me to be the best I can be."

"So it runs in the Vortex blood to be competitive, huh?"

"It also runs in the Vortex blood to be the best," she snapped back.

Jimmy swallowed hard. "Do your parents dislike me?"

"Very much," she bluntly answered. "You are an obstacle in my path to success."

He nervously twiddled his thumbs before asking: "Do _you_ dislike me?"

"What do you think?" she crossly asked, not liking the direction this conversation was taking.

"To be honest with you, I don't know. You talked with me just now like I was a friend of yours, but as you've put it, I'm an obstacle to your success."

Cindy's eyes opened a little wider. He was definitely more observant than she'd previously thought. "Surprisingly, you're pretty spot on…except for the friend part."

"So what's the final verdict, Vortex? Do you really dislike me, or is it a family prejudice that's been passed on?"

She was quiet for a moment as she contemplated the answer she wanted to give. It would be so easy to just come out with everything and tell him. After all, they were alone, and this might be her only chance to get it all out there before something else distracted him.

"Neutron," she softly began, the kind notes in her voice erasing the loud and harsh tones she'd previously used. "I don't know. I mean, I guess it's been inherited somewhat, but you're still a jerk."

He laughed, and the laugh surprised Cindy, causing her to yelp slightly at the loud, boisterous sound. He continued to laugh, and she irritably turned her body away from his. He noticed this and immediately ceased, realizing that this golden opportunity was slipping out of his hands.

"Cindy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh."

"Whatever, Nerdtron. Just shut up so I can go to sleep."

Something inside Jimmy snapped at these words. Too many times had he seen this side of Cindy—the side that pushed everyone away. He had come so close to piercing through that thick layer of protection. He was not about to let her go that easily.

"Cindy, can I say something?"

Her forehead was pressed firmly against the back of the couch. He heard her mumble something, and whether or not it was a positive or negative response, he was still going to speak.

"I'm sorry for laughing. I really didn't mean it. I only laughed because I thought it was funny that you still think I'm a jerk."

At these words, she turned to face him. Her eyes were slightly closed, her eyebrows pulled together, and her mouth half open. "It's because it's true."

Jimmy shook his head. "I don't think you mean that."

"Try me," she testily responded.

"No, thank you. I still believe I'm right—"

"Of course," she interjected.

"—But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't say something to you."

"Can you hurry this up? I'd like to go to sleep before the end of this year, please." She yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth. Her hands fell limp to her sides, and her eyes closed tightly.

"I think we should try to work things out."

"Huh?" she mumbled, her eyelids still shut.

"I think we should try to become friends."

She opened one eye to peer at him. "You think that'll be possible?"

"No," he admitted. "But I think it's worth a shot."

She rolled onto her side toward the back of the couch again, but she couldn't suppress a large grin from growing on her face.

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you think about this chapter! Thanks again for all the lovely reviews and being the nice people you are! :) <strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Oh, hello there! Long time, no see! **

**Yeah, yeah, I can blame school and say that that was the true reason why this chapter was a long time in coming, but the truth is, I had to execute a massive rewrite of this entire chapter because it was not up to par with the rest of the story. Because of this revamp, it is easily one of the longest chapters I've ever written for a fanfic, and I sincerely hope it is well worth it.**

**Thank you to those who have followed along with this story, and a special thanks to those individuals who have taken the time to write such encouraging and thoughtful reviews. I really do take the advice, criticism, and praise to heart. Maybe one day your words of advice will pay off. :) **

**Sorry, but there's just one more thing I need to say before you start this chapter. There is a section in here that is a dream. It is in italics. DO NOT FORGET. IT IS NOT REAL. Lol. But seriously, keep that in mind when reading, and if leaving a review tickles your fancy, I'd like to hear your reactions specifically to that dream. Thanks, and happy reading! :D**

* * *

><p>"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" Carl mumbled as he anxiously danced around Sheen's body. He couldn't decide what should be his next course of action. Should he take Sheen somewhere, leave and go for help, or stay by Sheen's side the entire night until Jimmy found them there? He just couldn't decide, and Sheen looked worse, if that was even possible. His arms were lying limp; one was curved in a circular fashion. Carl was pretty sure that wasn't normal. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth, and his right eye was buried beneath the layers of wrapping Carl had used to reduce the amount of blood leaking from his head. His left eye was oddly rolling around, and Carl was also sure that wasn't normal. When he really thought about it though, nothing about Sheen was ever normal.<p>

Carl began to do something he'd seen Jimmy do before. He began to list his options.

"Okay," he verbally spoke out. "The first option is to get Jimmy, but if I try and get his attention, I'm sure his folks will wake up. He's not in his room, and his lab won't let me in since I accidentally misplaced my bag of his hair. If I try to find where he's gone, it'll become this huge mess, and I really don't want Judy to think that I'd be a terrible father.

"I could stay here with Sheen, but that means someone will find us in the morning, and I really think Sheen needs help now. I can't just sit here and do nothing. Oh, I really wish I had Larry the llama right about now. He always offers such comforting words."

Carl looked around nervously, hoping that the answer would smack him in the face. He didn't know how Sheen had even convinced him to sneak out in the first place. Every time he had ever snuck out, bad things had happened. For instance, his parents had been captured by the Yolkians when the three boys had snuck out to go to Retroland. Carl shivered at the thought. He definitely did not want to think about that again, especially Poultra. He never liked chicken much after that.

It had been a good thing that they had all bonded together to defeat the aliens and make their escape. It was the first time Carl had really felt like he had connected with his classmates. Jimmy had always been Carl's best friend, and Sheen completed the troublesome trio. He'd never really talked to girls before then, but even Cindy and Libby had…

Carl stopped contemplating only to eagerly pick Sheen up and sling him over his shoulder. As fast as his legs would allow, he ran and refused to stop until he had reached his destination.

* * *

><p>"Liberty? Are you in bed yet?"<p>

"No, mom. I'm just finishing up!" the young girl responded as she painted her left pinky a dark shade of blue.

"Even though you don't have school tomorrow, I expect you to finish up soon," her mother called through the crack in her daughter's bedroom door.

"Almost done!" Libby loudly responded, noting her mother peeking through the door crack. She turned her hand to show her mother the new appliance of nail polish.

"It looks nice," her mother smiled as she pushed open the door. She walked in and sat down on the bed next to her daughter. She looked down into Libby's deep, brown eyes. "Did you enjoy your talk with Cindy earlier?"

"It was nice," Libby shortly responded as she looked back at her nails.

"What did you two talk about?"

"Boys," Libby fibbed.

Mrs. Folfax playfully nudged her in the side. "Got your eyes on any?"

Libby giggled a little bit, and her cheeks turned the faintest red. "Maybe…"

"Who?" Her mother eagerly prodded while leaning uncomfortably close to Libby. The young girl unconsciously leaned away.

"I'm kidding, mom. There's no one..."

"Your voice may be saying one thing, but your face is saying another." She slowly reached a tender hand out to gently lift her daughter's chin. Their eyes connected, and Mrs. Folfax gave a small smile. "You're growing up."

"I'm almost twelve, mom," Libby responded.

"I know. That doesn't mean you can't tell me things," she sighed.

Libby turned her head, causing her mother's hand to be suspended in midair. She looked down at the ground. "Cindy's in trouble."

"What?"

"I don't think things are going well for her," Libby began to explain. "Her family is…"

"On vacation," Mrs. Folfax finished. Libby looked up at her, confusion tainting her facial features. Her mother shrugged. "I bumped into Mrs. Vortex the other day at the grocery store. She was trying to find someone to look after Cindy."

Libby's jaw flung open. "Why didn't you tell her we could have looked after Cindy? Now she's stuck with Jimmy, and she's miserable!" Libby screamed at her startled mother.

Mrs. Folfax's right hand snaked up to her ear to clean it out a few times. "Must you yell, Liberty? I know I didn't teach you that."

"I'm sorry, mom. It's just that…Cindy…"

"I rejected Mrs. Vortex because we are going to your brother's marching band tournament over the weekend, remember?"

"Oh," Libby uttered as she faintly recalled her annoying brother dancing around the house a few days ago in excitement over some tournament.

"Besides," Mrs. Folfax knowingly smiled, "I don't think Cindy minds being at Jimmy's house one bit."

"What are you talking about? Of course she minds!"

Mrs. Folfax winked and stood up to leave. "If I know Cindy like I think I do, I'm sure she's doing more than bearing it." Her mother reached the door and stopped before exiting her daughter's bedroom. She half turned around to address Libby one last time. "Now go to bed, and tomorrow morning, do not forget that we're leaving first thing."

Libby whispered goodnight as her mother left and carefully shut the door behind her. The young girl climbed into her bed, lifting her blankets over her body and snuggling inside of them. She let her mind wander and worriedly began to consider the fact that her mother might know Cindy's secret. But that was impossible. Not even Cindy's parents knew her secret. On second thought, her parents didn't really know a lot about Cindy.

Libby jerked suddenly when she heard a faint tap at her window. Her gaze slowly shifted towards the window pane, but she made no attempt to move. She thought that maybe she had imagined something, and she was so comfortable within her bed's warm embrace, she didn't want to get up to check. A few moments later, she heard the noise again. She waited, her breath abated until the noise came again. Sure enough, it followed within a short amount of time after the second clink against the glass. She nervously rose from her bed and crept over to the window in question. She crouched so low she could have easily won a limbo contest, and her large eyes peered over the window sill and out into the darkness. What she saw surprised her, and she rushed out of her bedroom door faster than if Graystar had been handing out free concert tickets.

* * *

><p>Cindy tossed and turned all night on the couch. No matter how comfortable she felt, her eyelids flew open at the tiniest of sounds, and Jimmy's slight snoring didn't help either. She didn't want to get up in case she ended up crashing into something in the darkness, and the last thing she wanted was for a third confrontation with Mrs. N. She shut her eyes as tight as she could until she thought she might pass out. It was no use. Her eyelids simply fluttered open again like stubborn window blinds that refused to shut.<p>

She sighed and turned onto her side. After a few moments, she consciously realized she was gazing at Jimmy. She turned away and gagged for a moment, but upon realizing that no one else was around to watch, she shifted her gaze back towards the sleeping boy. His chest gradually rose and fell in a slow, yet steady, rhythmic pattern. He was still in his clothes and had adamantly refused to change when his mother had commanded him to spend the night in the living room. His mother had told him his pajamas were nothing to be ashamed of, but Cindy had vouched for him and said she'd rather not see them. So, still in his clothing, he had fallen asleep not long after their talk.

Their talk. They had actually had a full on conversation, and it didn't involve competing, fighting, or bickering. Cindy reflected on the conversation. She winced. She had told him too much. She'd talked about her family to Neutron. It was bad enough she had talked about her family, but it was even worse that it had been with Neutron. …Or was it? What had been so bad about talking to him anyway? He was intelligent and could carry on a thoughtful conversation, but that didn't excuse the fact that he was still a jerk. She sighed as her thoughts jumped back and forth. One minute, she didn't mind him so much, and the next, she wanted to rip his face off. She closed her eyes and lightly chuckled at how messed up she felt.

* * *

><p>Libby tiptoed down the staircase, somersaulted a few times to hide behind a hat stand, and slipped out the front door. Once outside, she ran over to where a lone boy stood. She noticed he had something flung over his shoulder. When she reached him, she realized that that something was Sheen. With panic rising in her voice, she asked what had happened. Carl began to cry.<p>

"It was all…all Sheen's idea," he started, each word barely squeaking its way out of his mouth. "He…Jimmy…save…fall…crack…scapula…" Carl tried to hold back his tears, but they fell and spattered across Sheen's face as Carl set him down on the ground.

Libby grabbed Carl by the shoulders and shook him, hoping a good shake would clear Carl's head and allow him to speak in full, coherent sentences once more. "Spit it out, Carl! Sheen looks really bad!"

The two kids stared down at their friend. If it was even possible, he looked worse than before. The only positive was that he wasn't bleeding.

"He fell."

"How?"

"We were…trying to save Jimmy…and Sheen fell from his window…"

Libby smacked her forehead. Only these two would attempt something like this. "How long ago did this happen?"

"Uh…probably just fifteen minutes ago…" Carl mentally calculated.

"Well, c'mon! Pick him up, and we'll take him inside!" Libby hurriedly said. She motioned for Carl to follow her, and she quietly walked up her porch steps first to make sure the coast was clear. The front door opened just a crack, and Libby poked her head in, frantically looking left and right. Her cornrow braids smacked each side of her face as she scrutinized her home's entryway, but she ignored the small pain in both cheeks and quietly ushered Carl in. He stumbled a little on his entry with Sheen hanging over his shoulders and juddering up his balance.

Libby pointed towards the stairs, and Carl nodded to show he understood. Unfortunately for Carl, the first step was squeaky, and Libby, being so used to skipping it, forgot to warn him. A loud creak reverberated throughout the house as Carl's timid foot pressed down on the step. He jumped a little and almost dropped Sheen, but he dashed madly up the stairs to hide when he heard slight movement coming from the kitchen. Libby froze, panic constricting her body and leaving her paralyzed. Her mother appeared out of thin air, and she asked Libby why she was out of bed.

"I forgot to… give you a kiss goodnight!" Libby forced her face into one of the cheesiest smiles and quickly gave her mother a small kiss on the cheek. "Well, g'night!" She ran up the stairs in the same fashion Carl had, and Mrs. Folfax rubbed her cheek, a slight smile spreading across her face as she headed back into the kitchen.

Libby found Carl panting nervously in the hallway, one arm wrapped around Sheen's torso, while the other was clutching the wall for support. She made a quick head nod towards her bedroom door, and Carl shakily grasped the doorknob handle and flung it open. Once inside, he tossed Sheen on the bed and began wiping his hands on his shirt, verbally promising himself he would never follow another one of Sheen's plans again.

"So what's the damage?" Libby asked as she planted herself next to Sheen on the bed. Carl nervously paced around the room, his large hands in fists and his arms tucked in close to his chest. Each step Carl took, he either gasped for breath or exhaled as much as he possibly could. Libby slightly rolled her eyes at Carl's dramatization, but she let the boy let out all of his nerves before speaking.

"Like I said, he was climbing up to Jimmy's window, and he lost his grip. He fell to the floor and hit his head pretty hard. I was able to stop the bleeding, I think, but…oh, look at him! His arms and legs are bent in funny places, and no matter what I do, I can't keep his tongue in his mouth!" Carl began to hyperventilate, and Libby smacked him across the face.

"Thanks," Carl mumbled as he rubbed his cheek.

"He's just unconscious," Libby said as she began to unwrap the bandages around Sheen's head. "If we let him get some rest, he'll come round. Then we can take him home."

"What about his distorted body?"

"Don't you remember? Sheen can bend his body in all sorts of weird ways. I'm sure it's normal…for him." Libby had set the wrappings aside and peered curiously at Sheen's head wound. Her hand gently slid across the deep gash in the back of his head, and she examined the traces of blood on her fingertips as she pulled her hand away. Sheen's eyelids flickered, and Carl gasped.

"Libby!" Carl pointed at Sheen. "I think he's waking up!"

Sure enough, Sheen opened his eyes. His head remained stationary while his pupils moved in circles around the room. He opened his mouth very wide before saying, "I'm in a girl's room?"

"SHEEN!" Carl yelled as he lunged for his friend. He grabbed Sheen and wrapped him in a huge hug. Libby tried to hush Carl, warning him that her mother might hear and come upstairs to see what was going on, but Carl ignored her and kept unintentionally strangling Sheen.

"CARL! GOSH DARN IT, LET GO OF ME!" Sheen yelled back. Carl dropped Sheen, and the boy fell to the floor like a heap of clothes. He shakily stood up, grasping Libby's helpful hand eagerly and allowing her to hoist him up off the floor. He gave her a small grin when she wrapped her arms around his waist to help him sit down on her bed. She just rolled her eyes at his silly smile, and she plopped herself down right next to him.

"You're shaking," she noted. "That's not a good thing."

"Is anything broken?" Carl hesitantly asked.

Sheen looked at his arms and legs and then shook them. "Nope."

"I told you he can just bend in weird ways," Libby chided Carl. "Can you try standing up again?"

Sheen nodded his head and used his arms to shove himself off of the bed. His legs dangerously wobbled beneath him, and after a few moments, his right knee gave out completely. He screamed as he fell, his arms flailing and reaching for anything to catch himself. Luck was not with him as his face smacked into the floor, causing a miniature earthquake. Libby ran towards her door and shut it as quickly and as quietly as she possibly could.

"Sheen! Carl!" she loudly whispered as she flipped around to face the two. "You boys have got to hide! There is no way my mom isn't going to come upstairs now!"

"Where should we hide?" Sheen asked as Carl helped him get off of the ground again.

"In the closet!" Libby shouted as she ran up and shoved the two inside a cramped closet space. Carl tumbled in first, and Sheen rolled in after him. They sat up as quickly as they could, but Libby had already shut the door as they heard another door open.

"Do you think she knows someone else is here?" Carl dared whisper to Sheen as Sheen repositioned his legs into a more normal sitting position.

"Are you kidding? We're as quiet as the Zeebots from episode 779." Sheen nodded his head as if confirming the factuality of this statement.

"So…we're pretty quiet?"

"No."

"What's going on?" Mrs. Folfax asked loudly as she barged into the room. Sheen and Carl firmly pressed their ears against the thick closet door in the hopes that they could eavesdrop on the conversation. It didn't help much; Mrs. Folfax sounded as if she was talking into a soup can. Sheen's curiosity got the better of him, and he hastily grabbed the doorknob. Carl's facial expression changed from interest to terror in a manner of seconds as the door slowly opened.

The conversation immediately ceased. Carl's breathing came in rapid spurts as he shakily searched his person for his inhaler. Sheen's eyes grew wide as he came to terms with what he had done. He tried to shut the door, but Carl slapped his hand when he reached for it. Pulling his injured hand back, he glared angrily at Carl as he nursed his now throbbing limb.

Libby began to give some explanation as to why loud noises and deep voices had been coming from her bedroom, and surprisingly, the conversation resumed. Both Sheen and Carl slid to the floor in relief, and neither uttered a word the duration of the mother-daughter discussion. Libby was somehow able to convince her baffled mother that she had received an emergency call from Cindy, claiming that Jimmy was currently experimenting. The loud noises, Libby explained, were the explosions that had resulted from another failed attempt by the boy genius. Mrs. Folfax finally began to leave, but she reminded Libby that they were leaving first thing in the morning. Libby faked a smile and said goodnight for the third time that evening.

"I hope this is the last time I hear you say that," her mother joked as she slipped out of the bedroom.

* * *

><p><em>Jimmy was walking into the Candy Bar. He pushed the two giant swinging doors open and stepped into the sweet-smelling establishment. His attention was immediately directed towards the bartender, Sam, as he mercilessly scolded a young girl for hitting the jukebox too hard. The ancient machine now lay in millions of broken pieces on the ground, and Sam ordered the child to clean up the mess with a toothbrush. Odd.<em>

_Jimmy made his way to where Cindy was sitting alone in one of the huge booths. He sat on the most opposite end and decided that now would be a good time to start inventing. He excitedly whipped out his science notebook and slapped it onto the table. A pen conveniently materialized in his right hand, and he poised himself in proper writing position to let the ideas flow straight through his brain to his hand without any impediments. He was just about to write when a loud tapping noise interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to find the dastardly blonde tapping away._

_"Need something?"_

_She continued tapping and acted like she hadn't even heard him. Her chin rested in her right hand, and all five of her left hand's fingers drummed away on the circular table. Her eyes were only half-opened, and the corners of her mouth were pulled downward. He dropped the pen and asked her to stop. She continued onward, still pretending that she hadn't heard him._

_"Vortex, I am trying_ _to invent. Will you please stop making that distracting sound?"_

_The drumming continued, and her focus was obviously elsewhere. Any thought of inventing was now gone, and he slid himself across the semi-circular booth. He stopped sliding before colliding into her, and he waved a hand in front of her face. She blinked once and finally looked at him, straightening slightly when she realized that someone had been trying to gain her attention. Her face was blank, expressionless._

_"I'm waiting," she dryly said._

_Jimmy looked around. "For what?"_

_"My parents." She went back to her drumming, and she paid him no attention when he waved again. He murmured a nasty insult or two about her lack of attention, and he stood up to leave. Not only was he being ignored, but he couldn't even invent anymore._

* * *

><p>"Well, that was fun," Sheen remarked as the two boys toppled out of the closet. Carl shook his head in disagreement, but Libby ignored their remarks.<p>

"Now what?" she asked aloud. She hadn't really expected an answer, but with Sheen present, she was bound to receive one.

"We've got to rescue Jimmy!"

"And break something this time?" Libby angrily shot back. Sheen immediately quieted down. "You are so lucky you didn't seriously hurt yourself!"

Sheen mischievously smiled. "You were worried, weren't you?"

"Of course I was worried! I didn't want you dying in my bedroom and rumors spreading that I'm a murderer or something!"

"No, that's not what I meant…" Sheen awkwardly trailed off. Libby scrutinized him for only a second, but her mind was too preoccupied with what she should do next.

"Sheen, I don't think you're well enough to return home. You're barely standing as it is. I'm afraid if you try to move again, you'll fall and only hurt yourself more."

"Impossible," Sheen laughed as he took a step. "I'm perfectly—" His right knee gave way again, and Carl muttered déjà vu as Sheen plummeted to the ground. Another earthquake-like quavering shook the house.

"EXPLOSIONS, MOM!" Libby yelled.

"I think Libby's right, Sheen. You can't leave in this condition. You need rest." Carl gently coaxed his friend to at least sit down. Sheen reluctantly obeyed and plopped his behind on the plush carpet covering the bedroom floor. He dreamily smiled at the pleasantry of the lush carpet on his enflamed buttocks.

"What do we do, Libby?" Carl asked as he pulled out his inhaler again.

"We attend to Sheen," she firmly responded. "He may appear to be his normal self again, but I won't let him out of my sight until I know for sure." Sheen gave her another mischievous grin. "Sheen, please. For once in your life, don't make a joke out of a very serious situation." She folded her arms crossly, and the grin slipped from his face.

"Sorry, Libby." He shamefully cast his eyes downward, allowing them to become transfixed on a stain. A stab of pity pierced Libby's heart, and she kindly placed a hand on Sheen's shoulder.

"I just want you to be okay," she smiled. He let his eyes wander back to hers, and he returned the smile.

Carl awkwardly stared at the two. "Am I intruding on a moment or something? I can leave…"

Libby shook her head and quickly retracted her hand from Sheen's shoulder. "We need you to stay here."

"We?" Sheen grinned again.

"Goodness, Sheen," Libby angrily shook her head. "Yes, _we_ need you, Carl. I can't take care of Sheen by myself. Besides, you're his savior right now. You need to be here for him."

Carl smiled a little at the word savior, but his nerves soon got the better of him. "I don't know, Libby. I'm not very brave, and you're more than capable of taking care of Sheen."

"I can't do it alone, and I don't want to." She grabbed one of Carl's hands and held it tightly. "Please stay." He looked into her eyes. Something about them convinced him to stay, whether it was the pure desperation and loneliness that shown through her eyes and reflected within Carl's soul or the fact that he didn't know how to get back in his house without waking up his parents, he ultimately decided to stay.

"Thanks, Carl," she said as wrapped him in a huge hug. Carl and Sheen made eye contact, and Sheen rudely stuck his tongue out at Carl. Carl only winked and returned the hug.

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><p><strong>And there you have it! I know I say this every time, but the next chapter should be up really soon. My semester ended last week, and I am pumped to finish this fic. I have about four other fanfics I've been secretly writing (I guess they're not so secret anymore), and it has been hard to devote a fair amount of time to this fic because I am so excited for the others! <strong>

**P.S. This chapter's been having problems uploading for some reason. If there is still a problem, please let me know. Thank you! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Remember how I said last chapter that I'd update soon? Yeah...I lied. Sorry about the wait! This chapter was somewhat discouraging to write, but I think it turned out (mostly) the way I wanted it to. **

**I'd just like to give a quick shout out to two very lovely people who really kicked me into gear with updating this fic. **

**First, I'd like to thank quietthinker, for your very kind words, helpful constructive criticisms, and friendship. Thank you so much for reminding me that the best way to get out of a rut is to keep "pushing through."**

**Second, I'd like to thank angel12121993. You're my newest best friend on fan fiction . net, and you're an awesome reviewer/motivator! It was more than beneficial to talk with you and know that you cared.**

**Thanks again, and I hope this chapter pleases you both! :) **

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><p>"Up and at 'em, campers! Hoo-hoo, that's right! We've got a big day planned out, and we're going to need you two sleeping birdies to get up, stretch those wings, and start a flappin'!"<p>

Cindy rolled over to bury her face into the pillow. Never in her entire life had she been awakened to such stupid, childish remarks. An alarm clock had always worked well, and she didn't know why one couldn't have been used now. She heard Jimmy groan as his father began encircling him, squawking every few seconds and flapping his 'wings.'

"Dad, please," Jimmy grumbled. "We're up, we're up." The boy slowly sat up, rubbed his eyes a few times, and unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn. It was clear he hadn't slept well. Huge rings underlined his eyes, and his hair drooped more than usual. Hugh Neutron told them they had about fifteen minutes to get ready. He said something about cookies before heading off towards the kitchen.

"Enjoy your rest, Sleeping Beauty?" Cindy snickered as Jimmy accidentally picked up a stray pencil and began to brush his teeth with it.

"Hmm…" he mumbled as his eyelids closed again.

"For your information, I had the hardest time falling asleep last night. Your monstrous snoring kept me awake, and if that wasn't disturbing enough, your house creaks, making it sound like someone's sneaking around."

"Hmm…" he mumbled again, barely even listening. The pencil was slipping out of his lax grip, and his head began to bob back and forth like his neck was broken.

"Wake up!" she shouted, noticing him dozing off again.

"Hmm…"

"Oh, whatever," she angrily muttered as she threw the blanket off of her. "I'm going to go get ready." She stood up and, without another glance or remark, made her way to the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Neutron were working in silence, both transfixed on their specific tasks. Mrs. Neutron was baking some cookies while Mr. Neutron was trying to fix the leaky faucet.

"No luck, sugar booger," he called over his shoulder. "This monkey wrench must only fix monkeys." He tossed it aside and grabbed a hammer. "This ought to do the trick!"

Judy turned to see her husband with his arms over his head, his back strangely arched, and a gleaming, metal hammer clutched anxiously in both hands. "Hugh! Put that down!"

He hesitated for a moment and eventually lowered the hammer. "But butter biscuit, I was about to fix this." He gestured towards the faucet, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'll call someone later today to fix it," she sternly said. "You. Go upstairs and hide as many of Jimmy's inventions as you possibly can."

"But why—?"

"Go. Now." She pointed towards the stairs, and he sauntered off like a good husband should. She turned back to finish baking those heart-shaped cookies when she spotted Cindy walking into the kitchen.

"How did you sleep?" Mrs. Neutron pleasantly asked as she opened the oven to pull out the tray of cookies. Steam emanated from each heart as she set the tray down on a few heat pads lying on her sparkling countertop.

"Fine, thank you," Cindy politely smiled as she watched the steam swirl and begin collecting directly above Mrs. Neutron's head. She watched it for a moment, wondering if it was enough smoke to set off the fire alarm, but her attention was piqued by two very big eyes gazing down at her. She jumped for a moment, thinking that the eyes had been her own, but upon realizing that they were Mrs. Neutron's, she tore her attention away from the smoke and tried to focus on the small conversation she was having with Jimmy's mother. She gave a quick glance about the kitchen, searching for any sort of object to start a conversation on as Mrs. Neutron continued to smile down at her. "You're very organized," she responded, hoping that it came across polite and sincere. Something about Judy Neutron both intimidated and invigorated Cindy.

Mrs. Neutron nodded. "I can't stand a hair out of place." Cindy nodded in agreement as Mrs. Neutron intensely gazed at her. "Literally," Mrs. Neutron seriously said. She gestured towards the girl. "Could you please fix that loose strand dangling in front of your face?"

Cindy reddened a little, but with one quick flip of the wrist, she pushed the bothersome strand out of sight, and, to Judy's relief, out of mind. Mrs. Neutron shifted her gaze from Cindy back to the cookies, and a momentary silence engulfed the enclosed space. Cindy awkwardly stood in the center of the kitchen, watching Mrs. Neutron delicately place each cookie on a plate. She began to silently hum to herself as she placed them on the gleaming platter. Cindy slightly perked up when the familiar tune Mrs. Neutron was humming became louder.

"Are you humming…a Katy Perry song?"

Mrs. Neutron gave a guilty grin. "I heard it on the radio the other day. It was catchy." She shrugged and continued to decorate the plate with heart-shaped treats.

Cindy gave her a curious look. "What other songs do you know?"

"A whole bunch," Mrs. Neutron began, leaving the hearts defenseless as she eagerly started counting off the top fifty hits of the year. "Why?" she asked, stopping after she'd counted off thirty-seven.

"I just…my own mother…nothing. It's just surprising, that's all."

Mrs. Neutron finished decorating the plate and smiled in satisfaction. "Cindy?" Mrs. Neutron asked, her eyes still analyzing the plate for any possible mishaps. Finding none, she turned her full attention to the blonde. "Do you think Libby likes sugar cookies?"

Cindy almost laughed out loud, yet she had no idea why. "Yeah," she quickly responded.

"Would you mind giving her a call and checking with her?"

Cindy nodded, and Mrs. Neutron pointed towards the phone hanging on the wall. With the phone in hand, Cindy dialed Libby's number faster than Mrs. Neutron could possibly spot a piece of dust. She pressed the bulky object against her face and waited for Libby to pick up. Instead, Mrs. Folfax did.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Folfax. Can I speak with Libby?"

"Is this Cindy? I'm afraid not. Libby's come down with a terrible cold."

Cindy frowned but decided to ask again anyway. "Can I talk with her? It's really important," she lied. She wanted to talk to Libby regardless of whether or not she fancied sugar cookies. She wanted to relay last night's conversation with Neutron to her and see what her best friend could make of it. Neutron may have offered to form a peace treaty, but Cindy still had her doubts.

Lost in the clutter of thoughts, Mrs. Folfax sigh lulled her back into reality. "I'll go see if she's awake. Hold on a moment."

Cindy patiently waited as she heard Mrs. Folfax knock on Libby's door. She listened, straining her ears to hear what Libby was saying, but she couldn't understand the mumbled gargle on the other end of the line. After a brief moment, Mrs. Folfax came back to translate the jumble of noises Cindy had heard.

"She says she'll talk to you, but she's acting extremely odd." Mrs. Folfax sighed again. "I know that she's usually a little off when she's sick, but she's really…well…different today. Would you be a dear and see if you could find out what's wrong?"

Cindy quickly jumped to a conclusion. "Are you asking me to spy on her for you?"

The mystified tone in Cindy's voice was not hard to miss. Mrs. Folfax gave a tiny gasp. "N-no. I just want to know what's troubling her. You're her best friend; maybe you can help her more than I can…"

Mrs. Folfax trailed off, leaving enough time for Cindy to mull over her words. Her mother genuinely wanted to know what was going on with Libby, and she thought the only way to do that would to be to go through Cindy. The young girl softly sighed to herself. "Yeah, I'll find out and report back to you," she somewhat sarcastically retorted. Mrs. Folfax thanked her and told her to wait a moment while she tried to see if she could enter Libby's room without being bitten.

A few moments later, a small, quavering voice said hello.

"Libby? Gosh, you sound awful. I didn't quite believe your mom when she said you weren't doing so hot, but she wasn't kidding. Is there anything I can do for you?"

The line was quiet for a moment. "No, I'm fine, Cindy. Really. I'm just keeping up appearances. I'm not actually sick." She paused for a moment. "Pretty convincing, huh? I sure fooled you."

The line was quiet once more. "Libby!" Cindy shouted, holding the mouthpiece so close to her face it was starting to hurt. "Here I am thinking you're about to die, and you're acting? What has gotten into you?"

Libby instantly tried to hush Cindy while Mrs. Neutron peaked around the corner to see why Cindy was making so much noise. "Everything okay?" she asked while hungrily biting into a leftover heart.

"Yes," Cindy smiled. She continued to smile until Mrs. Neutron had retreated back into the kitchen. Her momentary cover-up instantly faded once Mrs. Neutron was out of sight. She felt anger bubbling up inside her once more. "Explain yourself, Liberty Folfax! You know how much I hate being lied to!"

Libby sounded like she was gagging on the other end of the line. "Please, Cindy! Please don't call me Liberty! Only my mom does that…"

"You'd better answer me, or you'll regret it!"

"Really, Cindy?"

"Yes, really! In case you had forgotten, I am your best friend, and I do know a thing or two about you that you wouldn't want our fellow classmates to know."

Cindy maliciously smiled as she let her words sink in. Libby took her time in answering but calmly responded, "We both know you would never do something like that." It was stated as a fact, like the Earth was round or Nick Dean was the hottest boy in school, but a hint of uncertainty desperately clung to it. Cindy felt her smile begin to slip away. Libby was right, of course. She'd never blackmail her best friend.

Libby took the silence as her cue to continue. "You are not going to believe this, but Sheen and Carl are at my house and in my room. My mother doesn't know about it..." She whispered the names so softly, Cindy strained her entire being to comprehend what she had just said.

"Sheen and Carl?" she blankly repeated, cleaning her right ear in the process. Libby was quiet, and Cindy imagined the girl had embarrassedly nodded. "You know what I'm going to ask next."

Libby took another moment to respond, and this time, it was obvious that she was struggling with how exactly to tell Cindy. "The thing is…they showed up at my house…last night."

Again, Cindy was excellent at jumping to conclusions. "YOU HAD A SECRET SLEEPOVER WITH TWO BOYS?" she exploded. One second, the room had been empty and peaceful, and the next, Mrs. Neutron had come rushing into the room with a broom.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she gripped the tattered broom tightly against her chest. Mrs. Neutron could have passed as a tribeswoman, the ragged broom acting as her spear. Her predator mode appeared to have been activated.

The blonde almost dropped the phone at the sight of Jimmy's mom, but she calmed herself down and coolly responded, "Nothing."

Mrs. Neutron gave her a skeptical look while slightly lowering the broom. "Cindy, I know when something isn't right."

Cindy tried to give her some excuse as to why she had been shouting, but Mrs. Neutron wouldn't have any of it. "Can you please hand me the phone? I would like to speak to Libby."

Cindy reluctantly handed her the phone, and she would have protested if Mrs. Neutron wasn't still holding a broom. Mrs. Neutron took the phone in her small hand and gently brought it up to her face.

"Libby? This is Mrs. Neutron. Would you please tell me what is going on?"

Cindy cringed as she heard muffled sounds coming from the phone. She didn't want her best friend to get in trouble for having two boys in her room. Mrs. Folfax would probably have a heart attack if she ever found out.

"Interesting," Mrs. Neutron replied after what seemed like an hour. "Would you mind putting your mother on the phone?"

Cindy froze. Yep. Libby was going to get in some serious trouble, and it was all her fault. It didn't matter why the boys were there in the first place, but she shouldn't have overreacted. Her mouth liked to pretend that it was bigger than it really was.

"Cindy?" Mrs. Neutron suddenly said. "You can go now and get ready. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day."

Cindy nodded and slipped out of the room as fast as she possibly could. She found herself in the living room once more, but to her astonishment, Neutron was no longer half-asleep on the floor brushing his teeth. In his place stood, or rather, sat, Mr. Neutron doing some obscure yoga pose. He stopped when he spotted the questioning look on Cindy's face and stood up, brushing himself off as if he had accidentally fallen over. Cindy mentally noted that Mr. Neutron falling over seemed much more likely than him performing yoga. He mumbled something about getting Jimmy and paraded up the stairs to undoubtedly fetch his son, leaving Cindy behind to mentally cleanse her mind of disturbing images. Once the process was complete, she took her moment of solitude to ready herself for the day. Her hair was up in a rather messy ponytail, and she too, like Jimmy, had slept in her clothes. After seeing her appearance in the mirror above the Neutron's mantle, she normally would have asked Mrs. Neutron if she could take a shower, but she didn't dare do such a thing now. She figured that body spray and tons of deodorant would do the trick.

Steps could be heard from upstairs, and Cindy prepared herself for the genius who was sure to be coming down at any moment. She purposely turned her back towards the staircase and hurriedly tried to fix her hair. Her lucky pink elastic was being stubborn, and when she had almost successfully pulled her hair back in her classic ponytail, the elastic snapped. She accidentally let a bad word slip, but she didn't let the elastic anger her for long. She hastily ran her fingers through her hair, pulling and tugging at stubborn knots that refused to obey. She could hear Jimmy and Hugh coming down the stairs, and her hands began working at top speed, ripping the knots out and wincing as she did. She whipped around when she heard two pairs of feet reach the bottom, and she saw Mr. Neutron wrapping his son up in a hug. Jimmy had been trying to pull away, but his father was much stronger and quicker. Cindy let out an involuntary chuckle as she watched the two in an awkward embrace. The action may have been one-sided, but the affectionate bond between father and son was mutual.

Jimmy seemed to sense someone watching him as his father finally let go after a few moments of intense hugging. He flipped around and looked Cindy up and down, a smile finding its way on his lips. Cindy was ready to make a comeback in case he made some remark about her appearance or the fact that she was still not ready, but there was no need. The words halted in her throat at his charming smile, and she eyed him curiously. He seemed to notice her change in temperament because he immediately frowned, his eyes losing their sparkle, and his eyebrows scrunching together.

"Vortex," he slowly greeted her as he stepped closer to her.

"Neutron," she responded, following his movement so as not to be outdone.

Hugh's eyes shifted furiously between his son and his neighbor's daughter. He'd never seen the two interact much since most of their time together was at school, but he could sense an intensity permeating the air like none he had ever felt before. Uncomfortable by the change in atmosphere and the drastically reduced distance between the two kids, he headed towards the kitchen to sneak some of those heart-shaped cookies Judy had been laboring over all morning.

With his father gone, Jimmy's face softened. "I wanted to talk to you about last night," he barely whispered.

Cindy felt the temperature rise and her palms begin to sweat, but she ignored her body's nerves and tried to speak. "Uh…yeah…about that…"

"I'm…sorry if it was…weird," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just want to try and move on. I get the sense that you want the same."

She was about to angrily retort and say that he knew nothing about what she wanted, but his tone was so genuine and his heart so open that all she could do was stutter out a yes.

He smiled up at her, his eyes gleaming once again while his hands clasped together. "I'm glad we can come to some sort of truce."

She found her voice and briskly responded, "We're not there yet." Noticing the crestfallen look on his face, she tenderly added, "But we can get there."

He looked into her eyes and was about to say something else when Mrs. Neutron walked into the living room. Cindy guiltily put her hands behind her back and whistled while Jimmy pretended he'd dropped his pencil on the floor. Mrs. Neutron hardly paid any attention to their actions; instead, she dramatically raised her hands over her head and slowly enunciated the next several syllables.

"Libby, Sheen, and Carl are coming over. I want you two dressed and ready in less than ten minutes."

Both kids stopped in their tracks to turn their large heads to face Judy Neutron. Her face was serious, and her usual rosy demeanor was completely absent.

"What fo—?" Jimmy began to ask, but his mother cut him off.

"They can explain it all when they get here." Judy stopped to put a slightly trembling hand up to her forehead. "I think I need to lie down for a minute." With that being said, Mrs. Neutron left the room, leaving behind a stunned Cindy and temporarily mute Jimmy.

The shock didn't last for long. "What is going on?" Jimmy barely managed to croak out. He felt as if he'd been talking for hours, and an uncomfortable itchiness arose in his throat.

Cindy had an equally hard time speaking. "I…I have no idea, but it doesn't…sound good."

"My mother didn't look happy…"

"What should we do…?"

Both looked at each other and slowly nodded. They needed to get ready…and fast. If either of them had learned anything in their eleven years of life, it was that Mrs. Neutron was not one to be tampered with.

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><p><strong>CLIFFY! I know, I know...I'm sorry! Here's the dealio. I set a deadline for myself that this chapter would be up today, so I had to refrain from writing more to be able to make the deadline. It's 11:30 here where I'm at, so I've just barely made it. :) This is going to become a pointless thing to say after a while, but I shall update soon! <strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**I've been looking forward to this chapter for quite a while now! Happy reading!**

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><p>Jimmy literally flew into his bedroom to find Goddard. He hadn't seen his metallic companion for hours, and it greatly unnerved him. With Cindy's arrival and the chaotic mess that had ensued just this morning, he hadn't been allowed to dwell more than two seconds on his dog. Now that he wasn't directly under his mother's scrutiny, he slightly stumbled into the room to try and grasp at the one familiar and constant thing in his life.<p>

He found Goddard gently resting atop his unkempt bed. Watching Goddard's peaceful slumber halted Jimmy for the briefest of moments. His faithful companion appeared to be enjoying the rest; would it be right for Jimmy to wake him and ask him for help? Jimmy pondered for a moment before...

"Goddard!" Jimmy shouted as his mouth quickly made his decision for him. Goddard's eyes slowly began to light up, and his head shook slightly from side to side, indirectly causing his frame to sway back and forth like a pendulum. He stretched his legs in front of him, peering up at his master curiously. It wasn't like Jimmy to wake Goddard in this manner. The usual gentle tone Jimmy used had been replaced with one spewing with urgency.

"Sorry to wake you, boy, but I need some help," Jimmy explained as Goddard shook his head a little more to wake himself. "Mom's acting strange, and Sheen, Carl, and Libby are coming over in about ten minutes. Do you have any idea what I should do?"

Goddard's front panel reluctantly lifted up to reveal a bright, green screen. A few words appeared, and Jimmy eagerly read them out loud.

"Ask your friends what's going on," Jimmy read, sitting next to his robotic canine. He ran a palm down the front of his face, stopping just under his chin to allow his index and middle fingers to pull down each corner of his mouth. "I could have figured that out, boy. I was hoping you'd suggest I'd invent something."

The words 'invent something' appeared on the screen. Jimmy gave Goddard an unimpressed look. "Thanks for the help," Jimmy muttered. Goddard shook his head once more and playfully licked the back of his master's hand. Jimmy sighed and began stroking Goddard's hard head, his face suddenly losing all expression as a loud, high pitched quack reverberated throughout the elaborately decorated bedroom. The noise pierced his ears, but his outer appearance did not show any sign of it affecting him. Goddard whimpered at the severity of the sound. His paws furiously scratched at his ears in the hopes of reducing the pain.

"Is that your…doorbell?" a nervous voice asked.

Jimmy slowly turned to face the blonde who, moments ago, he would have scolded for invading his bedroom. All he could manage now was a grimace and a nod.

"They're early," she slightly croaked. Cindy stood in the doorway, her left foot in the bedroom while her right foot was in the hall. Instead of standing straight up, she was leaning back slightly against the door frame. Her arms were folded, but not in the usual hostile manner that accompanied it when she assumed such a position. Her green eyes probed the room for a few moments, taking in the intricate interior decorating and personal customization. This wasn't the first time she'd been in his room, but even then, there was no way she could take everything in. The entire bedroom was covered top to bottom in stars. The ceiling spelled out clear-cut constellations, and the blonde couldn't help but gape a little at how accurately placed they were. A lover of astronomy, Cindy could stare at the ceiling for hours. When she and Neutron had switched bodies, the starry ceiling had helped her fall asleep. It was one of the only things that had been familiar, and without it, she probably wouldn't have survived the night.

Jimmy had also entered a type of reverie, but instead of focusing on his bedroom, he focused on the issue at hand. The doorbell had just informed the entire household that three individuals had arrived. For whatever purpose they were coming, that didn't change the fact that they were here, and they would be entering soon. His mind circled around the possibilities, but that didn't last for long. No possibilities presented themselves to him. The only thing he could surmise was some sort of surprise party, but his birthday wasn't for another four months. He gulped. This couldn't be good.

Cindy yanked her attention away from the stars and glanced back towards Jimmy. She noticed the emotionless expression his face wore and the way in which his hand had curled up on top of Goddard's head. She cleared her throat to get his attention, and when that didn't work, she spoke up.

"We should head down now, don't you think?"

Jimmy found that speaking came much easier when Cindy spoke in her normal tone of voice. "I guess," he shrugged. He looked to Goddard and gestured for his companion to come along and answer the door with them. The trio trudged out the bedroom, down the stairs, and halted before the door. If anything, Jimmy could have sworn the door had grown in size. Scientifically speaking, it was impossible for a door to grow, but visually speaking, Jimmy wasn't so sure.

"Aren't you going to get it?" Cindy whispered.

"Yes," he whispered back, glaring at her slightly.

"Well then, get it!" she loudly whispered, unfazed by his pervading gaze.

"Why don't you get it?" he whispered equally as loud.

"This isn't my house!" she whispered very loudly.

"Then stop telling me what to do!" he whispered even louder.

Goddard's screen flipped up. _I'll get it, _it read. A metallic arm came out of Goddard's back, the four-fingered hand grasping the doorknob firmly. Jimmy and Cindy stopped their glaring contest to anxiously watch Goddard open the door. Jimmy was so nervous that his eyebrows were near his hairline. Cindy was so anxious that the tip of her ponytail was curling upward. Goddard was so calm that he proceeded to slowly open the door, gradually revealing portions of what currently occupied the other side. Whether that was because he really was calm or because he was trying to keep the two kids in suspense, no one will ever know for sure. Goddard was known to have an interesting sense of humor, something he probably acquired from the genius himself.

The door was slowly opening, light pouring in from the outside. Jimmy and Cindy shielded their eyes as the sun mercilessly blinded them. Goddard yipped slightly, and both kids squinted eagerly to see their friends.

"Hello, Jimmy!" a high-pitched, strongly accented voice called.

Jimmy groaned while Cindy nearly passed out. "It's only…Bolbi." Jimmy dumbly said.

"No kidding, Neutron," Cindy retorted as she sat down to stop her head from spinning.

Bolbi smiled widely down at Cindy. "Hello, Ms. Cindy! Are you here to play with Jimmy too?"

"Play?" Cindy stupidly asked.

"That _is_ what he said, Cindy," Jimmy scoffed, ironically putting his hands on his hips.

Cindy appeared not to have heard. She gazed curiously up at the foreign exchange student. Bolbi was a curious child, that much was certain. She'd never really talked to him before, but that didn't deter him from saying hi to her and being his usual happy, dopey self. All the kid wanted to do was play. Unbeknownst to her, she cracked a small smile in return.

"Bolbi, I can't play today," Jimmy sighed as he began to close the door. "I'm expecting Sheen, Libby, and Carl any minute. Maybe next week…"

Cindy suddenly stood up and stopped Jimmy from shutting the door. Before either of the kids knew what was going on, Cindy called out to the dejected boy slowly skipping away. "Wait, Bolbi," she called, her right hand extending out as if she were trying to grab him. "I…I have a game we can play."

Jimmy turned to Cindy, a horrified look on his face. "What are you doing? We're not playing right now! We don't even know what's going on!"

"Hush," she responded, her usual confidence shining through once more. "I know just the thing."

Bolbi raced back up the steps, slap clapping all the way. Jimmy dramatically sighed as Cindy gave another small smile. "Bolbi?"

"Yes?"

"How about we play 'Look Out?'"

Bolbi gave Cindy a very confused look at this point, but it was obvious that he would play whatever game Cindy suggested. She noted his confusion and decided to elaborate.

"All you have to do is keep a look out for Libby, Carl, and Sheen. When you see them, you need to run as fast as you can here and tell me and Neu—I mean, Jimmy. Once you've done that, you win."

Bolbi clapped his hands above his head a few times. "Bolbi will be the best look out! I run fast when I see them!" With that being said, Bolbi hopped off the porch and galloped onto the sidewalk. Cindy smiled slightly when she saw the eager child running back and forth across the sidewalk. Jimmy even took his hands off of his hips and gave Cindy an intriguing look.

"That was a nice thing to do," he remarked, surprised that he was complimenting Cindy.

Cindy shrugged, her defensive side flaring up a little. "I did it only so he'd leave us alone."

"Say what you like, but I think you were genuinely being nice."

Cindy looked down at the ground, not quite knowing what to say. Jimmy shut the door and made his way towards the sofa Cindy had slept on the night before. He haphazardly folded the duck blanket and set it on the ground to side of the couch. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. His hands began to rub circles on both sides of his cranium, an exhausted look reflecting his inner turmoil. Cindy cautiously approached him and slowly sat next to him. He didn't even bother to look up at her.

"I guess now would be a good time to take a break for a moment."

Cindy nodded, and after realizing he couldn't see this gesture, verbally agreed. He dropped his hands to his sides and opened his eyes. They remained transfixed on a point on the ceiling. "I'm exhausted."

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

Jimmy's face reflected nothing. "I slept terrible last night."

"Did your own snoring wake you up too?" This conversation held a very serious tone, and Cindy wasn't sure she liked it.

"No," he shortly responded. "I...I've had a lot on my mind, that's all."

Cindy waited, breathing so soft as not to miss a word of what Jimmy would say next. When a few moments had passed and the boy had said nothing, she decided it was her turn to speak.

"I—I have something to tell you, Neu—Jimmy."

He sat up quickly, his body appearing to have been electrocuted by some invisible force. His blue eyes eagerly met her green ones. "Me too, Cindy."

"I've been holding it back because I was…afraid to tell you," she began, her hands nervously rubbing together. "But I think it'd be for the best if I was just honest with you. I mean, we are working towards a friendship, right?"

Jimmy shook his head up and down in quick succession. "Exactly."

She exhaled once. "Okay, I'm going to tell you. Promise me you won't be angry."

"Angry?" Jimmy blinked. "Cindy, I promise I won't be angry." He smiled his winning smile and gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder. She began to pull away, but he continued to smile at her.

"You can tell me," he promised. "I won't be angry."

She blushed at the severity of his words and the fact that he was touching her. She quit trying to move away, and instead, she told him what had been bothering her for what felt like an eternity.

"I talked to Libby this morning," she started to say.

"Go on," Jimmy urged her, mentally praising his abilities as an excellent communicator.

"I don't know all of the finer details, but Carl and Sheen spent the night at her house. I—I think your mom found out about it, but I don't get why they're coming over. Could it be some sort of punishment? Libby's parents didn't know about this 'sleepover,' and I just know they'd be real angry if they found out. What if they did? What if your mom told them, and now not only am I in trouble, but Libby's going to suffer all because of me?"

Jimmy's face fell and continued to droop lower at every word Cindy said. This had not been at all what he had expected. Maybe his communication skills weren't as sharp as he thought they were. He watched helplessly as the blonde buried her head in her hands. Noticing that his hand was still on her shoulder, he immediately retracted it and rubbed it slightly against his pant leg. He tried to look anywhere but at the girl next to him, but it proved difficult for Jimmy. He eventually gave up and decided to respond to Cindy's worries.

"My mom isn't the type of person to rat others out. I highly doubt she told Libby's parents about Carl and Sheen."

Cindy lifted her head to add her own two cents. "But just think about it! Why else would the three of them be coming over?"

Jimmy fell silent when no obvious answer came to mind. "There's got to be a reason," he mumbled. "Mom would never do something like that."

Cindy was about to retort when another loud quacking noise grated against her ear drums. Her hands flew immediately to cover her ears, and Jimmy followed suit. Goddard, who had been resting at the foot of the stairs, barked loudly and bounded up the stairs to get as far away from the noise as possible.

"Let me guess," she said as she rolled her eyes. "That was your dad's idea, wasn't it?"

"He was very persistent. Mom eventually gave in, so he followed through."

"Your family needs help," she snickered.

"Thanks for the kind words, Vortex," he coldly spat at her as he stood up to answer the door.

Her spirits sank slightly when he addressed her by her last name, but she brushed it off and followed him towards the door. This time, there was no hesitation. He flung the door open, and their three friends stood on the porch, a happy Bolbi prancing around them chanting at the top of his lungs, "LOOK OUT! LOOK OUT! BOLBI WIN!"

"Hello," Jimmy flatly greeted. He stepped to the side of the entryway to allow his friends to come in. Bolbi thanked Cindy and Jimmy for the game and trotted off with a giant grin on his face. Cindy motioned for them to sit on the couch. Carl and Sheen glanced at Jimmy to make sure it was okay. Jimmy gave a quick nod, and they eagerly collapsed onto the cushioned seating. Libby stood next to Cindy, unwilling to join the others and sit down. Jimmy shut the door and joined his two best friends on the couch, plopping his tired body in between them.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" he asked, glancing around at the three newcomers. "I feel like I've been waiting weeks to know!"

"Jimmy, it's only been a day," Sheen pointed out.

Jimmy sighed and turned to face Libby. "Cindy told me something about these two having a sleepover at your house. Could you please continue from there?"

"It wasn't a sleepover," Libby countered. "I think you should ask these two just what happened before they came to me for help."

"Help?" Cindy asked.

"Yeah," Carl answered. "Sheen fell, and I thought he had died."

"I'm Sheen! I'm invincible! I can't die!" Sheen laughed as though that was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

"Carl?" Jimmy asked. "How did Sheen fall?"

"Well, Sheen convinced me into trying to save you from Cindy…"

"Excuse me?" Cindy flared up, giving Sheen a look that could easily kill a small rabbit. Libby nudged her in the side and told her to be quiet and listen. Cindy angrily folded her arms and muttered what sounded like incantations under her breath. Sheen cowered slightly, fearing that Cindy possibly had magical powers and that she was setting some deadly curse on him.

"We came to your house last night," Carl continued, "And Sheen climbed up to your window to get you out. When you didn't answer, Sheen lost his balance and fell. He hit the floor, and it sounded like he broke his whole body. His head was bleeding, so I pulled out my security blankie to bandage him up. I thought about waking you and getting your help, but I didn't…didn't think that was a very good idea. The only other person I could think of was Libby."

Jimmy looked to Sheen for verification. Sheen nodded and replied that Carl had basically told the truth, except for the part where he blamed Sheen for the idea. "Well, it was your idea, Sheen!" Carl whined.

"It doesn't matter! Just finish the story!" Cindy yelled.

Libby decided to continue the tale from here. "They came to my house, I snuck them up to my room, and Carl explained that Sheen had fallen. He came around not too long afterward, but he was so weak, he couldn't even walk right."

Sheen cringed as he remembered the blows Libby's floor had given him. Jimmy noticed Sheen's pained face, but he looked back to Libby, his eyes pleading for her to continue and end this confusing nightmare.

"They stayed the night because there was no way they could go back home. Neither of their parents knew that they had even left, and Sheen was in no condition to leave. Besides, my mother spent a lot of the night downstairs, prepping for my brother's band tournament this weekend. I didn't think we could slip past her again. She was very suspicious and came and checked on me a few more times."

"You're forgetting something," Sheen suddenly spoke up. Libby arched one eyebrow and waited for him to make his contribution. "Carl and I had to sleep under the bed."

"And just how is that important?" Cindy asked, clearly irritated that she still didn't know what was going on. "Why did we need to know that?"

"I never said you needed to know that, I just said that she was forgetting something."

Carl nodded in agreement. "Sheen's right, Cindy. We had to sleep underneath the bed. I think I accidentally inhaled a spider."

"Fascinating," Cindy yawned. "Can we please skip to the part where I talk to Libby and Mrs. Neutron demands the phone?"

Libby nodded and opened her mouth to continue. "I was really scared, Cindy. I didn't expect you to call, and I didn't know how to get the two back home without their parents giving them both a whipping." Libby paused before continuing. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier about it. I should have known that you two could have helped us out, but I thought I could continue to keep it a secret. I lied to my mom and told her I was sick this morning. She told me that there was no way I could get out of going to the tournament. A few minutes later, you called. I was going to ask for your help then, but suddenly, Mrs. Neutron was on the phone. She asked me to tell her everything, but I couldn't. I lied some more, but her silence told me that she didn't buy it."

Here, she stopped and turned to face Jimmy. She'd spent most of the time looking Cindy right in the eye during the course of her story, but now, she turned directly to Jimmy and spoke to him. "Your mom's a lifesaver. She spoke with my mom, lied and said how Cindy had come to her and worriedly told her how sick I was, and offered to look after me. My mom agreed to this plan, and my family left a few minutes ago. They have no idea that these two spent the night in my room and that I narrowly avoided some serious grounding, and it's all thanks to her.

"Your mom just barely called again before we came over, and she said she knew that I hadn't told her the truth. She asked me nicely once more that I tell her just what was going on, and this time, I did. I couldn't keep it from her any longer, especially after she willingly lied to my mom to save my skin. She was quiet for a while after I told her, but she told me she'd get it sorted out. She said she'd call both Carl's and Sheen's parents and tell them they had decided to have a last minute sleepover at your house but had forgotten to tell them."

Libby stopped to give the five kids a chance to let the entire story sink in. Cindy shamelessly gaped, Carl and Sheen smiled in relief, and Jimmy's face softened. Judy Neutron was a lot of things, but Jimmy had never known just how wonderful she truly was. A newfound appreciation dawned on Jimmy, and the urge to run and hug his mother overwhelmed him.

"Speaking of Mrs. N, where is she?" Libby asked. "I'd like to say a few things to her."

"I heard the whole thing, kids, and I think I can be of some assistance." Mr. Neutron jumped out from the dining room and casually waltzed into the living room, flashing the kids a goofy grin as he continued his waltz into his own bedroom.

* * *

><p>"Booger Bear?" Hugh nervously called as he quietly opened the door. He turned to carefully shut the door, but when he flipped back around, he saw that there was no need to be quiet. Judy was sitting on the bed, intently reading one of Hugh's duck books. He smiled when he saw her eyes rapidly scurrying back and forth as she read. She didn't look up as he walked towards her, so he continued towards his final destination: the empty space next to her.<p>

"What do you find so fascinating about these birds anyway?" she asked as Hugh sidled up next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The act of compassion did not go unnoticed. She smiled up at him, but no sooner had she smiled then her lips turned downwards and she sighed. "I know these animals are your passion, but sometimes, I wish they weren't."

The words stung Hugh, but he knew they were spoken out of frustration. "Ducks are very fascinating creatures, Judy. Turn to page three hundred and ninety-four to see for yourself."

She silently complied and flipped through the pages with dizzying speed. She stopped on page three hundred and ninety-four and turned to face Hugh for further instruction.

"Read that second paragraph there," he pointed. Her eyes followed his finger and found the place that he wanted her to read. She began to read it to herself, but he stopped her and insisted that she read it out loud. She sighed again, hoping that there was a point to all of this.

"Mallard ducks are perhaps the most abundant duck on Earth. Weighing in somewhere between two to three pounds, these omnivorous birds live up to anywhere between five to ten years. The male, or drake, is more distinctively colored with its iconic green head in comparison with females, which are mottled drab brown in color."

"While this is all very interesting," Hugh commented, "You really should skip down a few more lines."

Judy again followed Hugh's words and began reading aloud a second time. "In all Mallard ducks, the female makes a loud quack, while the male's quack is very soft, whispery, and raspy. The quack sound that most people associate with ducks is made by the female, not the male."

Hugh smiled and kissed the top of Judy's forehead. "This is what I consider to be the most interesting fact about ducks," he whispered against her soft skin. "We males might make more of a spectacle of ourselves, but the females are what keep us grounded. For goodness sake, they're the only ones that can quack after all. They're the true ducks, not us." He looked deeply into her eyes, spotting a glimpse of the obsessively-cleaning, carefully-compassionate woman he noticed from afar the first time he saw her. "You have and always will be the number one duck in my life."

Judy felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, and Hugh gently brushed them away. "I know I'm not the easiest man to live with, Sugar Booger, but you've got to understand that you're the only person I'd ever want to spend the rest of my life with. These past few days I've just been so caught up preparing for Retroville's local duck figurine contest that I've neglected my duties as a father and husband."

Judy looked at her husband, a happy confused look appearing on her face. For the first time in a long time, she was head-over-heels in love with this duck-loving, pie-craving man. "Retroville has a duck figurine contest?"

"I'm the head chair," Hugh proudly beamed. "I just got permission from the mayor this year to start it."

Judy rolled her eyes, but she gently kissed her husband on the cheek. "You have a lot of catching up to do, mister."

"I know," he replied as he kissed her back on her cheek.

* * *

><p><strong>Fluffy ending. :) This doesn't mean all of their problems are solved though. *I'm so evil!* <strong>


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